Twink, the Toy Piano Band! Twink, the Toy Piano Band!

Review of Ice Cream Truckin' from LMNOP

When we heard and reviewed the last Twink album (The Broken Record), little did we realize that the disc would end up becoming one of our top favorite releases of the twenty-first century (we obviously need to go back and up the rating on that CD...it is truly brilliant).

Twink is Mike Langlie...a fellow with the imagination of a child and the skills of a mature techno geek. Whereas The Broken Record involved splicing snippets from old children's records into modern pop masterpieces, Ice Cream Truckin' presents nineteen compositions that evolved through assistance and cooperation from Langlie's pals and associates. Mike played and recorded himself playing toy pianos and then gave the tracks to other folks to flesh out. The result is a bizarre meshing of the simple with the heady and complex. Combining sounds from a three year old's playroom with techno, pop, heavy metal, ambience and more is no easy task...and yet Truckin' spins so smoothly you'd swear you were licking away at the creamiest ice cream cone on the planet. Each track is named after an ice cream flavor. ("Razzmatazz," "Sugar Cone," "Scooter Pie," "Rocky Road," etc.) Considering how many artists were involved in this project, you'd think that the quality of this CD would vary wildly. Instead, the album is slick and professional from start to finish.

Mike Langlie is creating a style of music in which he has no competitors. Slightly goofy and definitely surreal, the music of Twink is a bizarre acquired taste that will always leave the listener wanting more. Fantastic stuff. Highly recommended.

Rating: Like Totally Incredible

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