Paul De Jong You Fucken Sucker

As a society, we know that we are overwhelmed -consumed by hyper-stimulation, and frustrated by whatoften feels like an exhaustive barrage of external forces.For Paul de Jong - the innovative composer andcofounder of beloved collage-pop eccentrics, the Books- that societal frustration was compounded by a series ofunexpected and frightening personal turns. His newalbum, You Fucken Sucker, is an uncompromising andoverwhelming statement; an uncanny (and sometimesuncomfortable) reflection of our collective mental excess.Presented in the exact sequence in which it wasconceived, You Fucken Sucker charts a route of personaltragedy and emotional fatigue, and the loss and eventualretrieval of the illusion of control. Over the course of its14 tracks - which range in length from 15 seconds tonearly 10 minutes - we hear complex tapestries ofacoustic and electronic instrumentation submitting towaves of unhinged screaming; found-sound assemblageseamlessly incorporating subtle R&B rhythms; Freudianfunk; lo-fi prog-metal; and vast synth patch orchestrationadding unexpected textures and tension to the wholespectacular mess.Like much of Paul de Jong's work, You Fucken Suckeris a genre unto itself, overflowing with innovativeexploration of sounds and senses. Unlike his previouswork, it is an unvarnished exposition of his anger,frustration, misery and confusion. Perhaps most vitally, itis an opportunity for the rest of us to experience the kindof communal emotional purge more typical ofpre-Internet basement punk rock shows, to bask in therarified air of being unafraid of being afraid.