Graduating from a truly demented solo project to a more traditional three-piece rock band,
Timmy's Organism doesn't just aim for the gutter, but dives head-first through the drainage grates on second album
Raw Sewage Roq. Conceived by Detroit punk lifer Tim Lampinen (aka Timmy Vulgar), earlier
Timmy's Organism recordings were even more psychedelic and warped than his work with synth-wielding weirdos
Human Eye, a band he also sings, plays guitar and writes songs for. Experimentation is far more subtle on
Raw Sewage Roq, trading phased-out vocals and exploding drum production for the occasional wildly fuzzy guitar tone in straightforward rock songs. "Unhook My Leash" barrels along with all the dark energy of
Funhouse-era
Stooges, and the upbeat punk tempo of "Poor and Bored" highlights Jeff Giant's bristling bass playing and Coin Sick's rock-solid drumming as Timmy brays and shreds in frantic shards overtop. Elsewhere, swampy blues and even some blue-eyed soul influences peek out through the scummy film that covers every second of the album. The borderline kitschy "Monster Walk" finds Lampinen simultaneously channeling
Dr. John,
Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and the goofy spirit of "The Monster Mash," filtered through blown amps and broken drumstick beats. The sounds aren't necessarily ground breaking, or even new, but there's something especially filthy and indeed raw about the approach
Timmy's Organism takes that sets
Raw Sewage Roq apart from any number of high-energy garage bands. Even the midtempo songs, comprised of simple guitar, bass, drum, and vocal arrangements, seem bursting at the seams with overdriven energy. While some of the experimentation and possibility that defined their earlier work is missing from
Raw Sewage Roq, the material is no less visceral or dangerous. ~ Fred Thomas