Tiny Monster Invasion

Looking for a soundtrack to your Attention Deficit Disorder? Tiny Monster Invasion just may be your ticket. Essentially a solo project by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Linzey (Kristin Arnold handles viola and violin, and Dale Goyen handles the drums), Tiny Monster Invasion covers a lot of area in its 11 cuts. And, like someone with ADD, the album is coherent only part of the time, such as on the fine, Eastern bloc-ish, waltz-timed “Letter to Joe Spent.” Elsewhere, the band is eclectic as if it has something to prove, with mixed results. “Skin Flick” touches on bluegrass mandolin, Far East drone and hardcore rave-up before landing at Linzey’s huge, baritone-guitar riff. Somehow, the whole thing manages to hold together. But, on “Polishing Turds,” a hoedown ending puts an inappropriate punctuation mark after a tasty guitar-pop statement. The album is ambitious and worthwhile, if at times overindulgent.