The unhinged energy from Dale Crover’s songwriting is at its Best with Glossolalia. An album full of momentum and melodic coolness radiating from the unique production and ripping guitar playing from Dale, Kim Thayil and Dan Southwick. Dale is no stranger to collaboration and has collaborated with some pretty heavyweight musicians on this record, such as Tom Waits, Ty Segall, Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Rob Crow (Pinback). Damn, this dude has some cool friends.

Tom Waits opens this album with a pretty unhinged vocal performance that wouldn’t surprise the average Tom Waits fan but caught me off guard pretty intensely and opened this record up in a kooky and unpredictable way before it launches into the heavy-hitting garage rock title track, Glossolalia. The Opening track is a high-energy rock n roll song filled with tasteful organs ripping guitar licks and Dale’s cool 60s-style vocal performance. The following track, Doug Yuletide, is an absolute strutter of a tune; its cool guitar riffs and rhythmic feel remind me of some cuts off Beck’s Odelay as well as some modern psych rock like Thee Oh Sees. The Complex and heavy rhythms of I Quit Stumble their way into one of Dale’s most ambitious and well-constructed songs yet. This song has so many layers it feels like Dale ironically couldn’t quit on this one; the esque synths, the production changes, the vocal harmonies, the surprises simply don’t end.

The next song, Blow’d Up is a little weaker than the rest of the album but has some fun rhythms and synths carrying it along. Rings has one of the grooviest breakdowns on this whole album and is just one of the most well-crafted songs. Kim Thayil’s leads in this song are unbelievable, and the solo at the end is one of the most epic moments on the record. Jane is another straight- up rock n roll track dedicated to the late Jane Birkin. It is a fun short song that pushes this record along in a fun way.

The spooky chords of I’ve Waited Forever kept me intrigued for the last half of the record with its exciting song structures and krautrock-esque synths; there is Definitely an eerie aesthetic going on with this record. Another side of Dale’s songwriting is revealed with Dont Worry About It, Backed by Rob Crow’s melancholic harmony vocals; this song is one the more dynamic and psychedelic tracks off the album. Ty Segall’s signature guitar tone comes screaming into the intro of Spoiled Daisies—an awesome ripper filled with sick guitar tone and excellent vocals. Kitten Knife is another nasty Segall-inspired jam. It is a great song and an excellent companion to the previous track. The Final Track, Punchy, is an epic ballad with dissonant guitar passages and synths, keeping it cohesive to the rest of the album. This album cements dales ability to create well-balanced and distinctive albums as a solo artist.

Order Glossolalia by Dale Crover HERE