The (ultimately true)
Royal Trux breakup rumors circulating around the release of
Neil Michael Hagerty created a tense, chaotic atmosphere that reflected the album's character perfectly. As an extension of
Hagerty (and partner
Jennifer Herrema), Trux was nothing if not unpredictable, but the band's late-'90s albums found it settling into a groove that may have become too comfortable for
Hagerty's restless creativity.
Neil Michael Hagerty solves this "problem" with a collection of songs that avoid both Trux' subversive boogie rock and its avant-noise; it's not as explosive or loud as the duo's definitive
Twin Infinitives, but it's almost as weird and self-indulgent. If anything,
Neil Michael Hagerty is the sonic equivalent of
Hagerty's novel Victory Chimp: chaotic, clever, and on a very specific wavelength that he doesn't bother to decode for the uninitiated. A study in contrasts, the album's sound is considerably less polished than Trux' later recordings, yet the melodious voice
Hagerty uses on songs like "Know That" is a far cry from his usual snarl.
Neil Michael Hagerty's mix of stiff, cheap drum machine beats, psychedelic organs, and guitar heroics lends itself to some of
Hagerty's most mercurial music: Lengthy tracks such as "Kali, the Carpenter," "Fortune and Fear," and "I Found a Stranger" constantly shift and change in alternately fascinating and alienating ways. Most of the album's strange, unsettled music takes a while to sink in, but the percolating "Creature Catcher," the droning ballad "Oh to Be Wicked Once Again," and appealingly tossed-off "The Menace" are relatively accessible. The aptly named "Tender Metal" showcases
Hagerty's intricate, lightning-fast guitar work, while the back porch shuffle of "Repeat the Sound of Joy" and the Trux-like "Whiplash in Park" add to the kitchen sink, stream-of-consciousness feel. Despite bearing his full name,
Hagerty's solo debut is hardly the kind of self-aggrandizing effort that usually marks the beginning of a solo career -- it feels more like a vacation from
Royal Trux than a departure from it. And though it's a strange trip, Trux fans looking for the spirit of the band rather than a replica of its sound will find a lot to appreciate in
Neil Michael Hagerty.