On their final full-length album,
Brainiac move further into the unchartered territory that they explored on
Bonsai Superstar, and perhaps because of that, the album seems initially less exciting. However, while they take a somewhat smaller creative step between these two albums than between
Bonsai Superstar and
Smack Bunny Baby,
Hissing Prigs in Static Couture nonetheless offers up a fascinating dose of space-age sound bites, falsetto vocals and chant-along choruses. The opening four tracks are astounding, especially "Pussyfootin'" and the loopy "This Little Piggy." The middle of the album drags a bit, but it comes to a blistering conclusion with "Nothing Ever Changes" (recorded by
Steve Albini) and "I Am a Cracked Machine." ~ Brian Christopher Egan