Simple does it

Brevity is a positive force here, with the whole shebang running just over 38 minutes, most songs hovering around the 3:30 mark. This puts a lid on the putzing for potheads that was a trademark of the Jane releases and the subtext of the first Porno effort, which sounded much less focused -- less worked over -- than Urge. With lyrics credited to Farrell and music to the band in total, the nattering nutter sounds more subdued -- or perhaps subsumed is the word -- than previously. We have love songs and nature panoramas and very little that's overtly rude. It's as if Farrell's writing had turned a corner (and then, of course, fallen down a rabbit hole).

Sometimes, though, it's all just babble, standard-fare Buddha-head acid shit, most egregiously on "Thick of It All." "How you figure in the scheme of things to be?" it begins, breaking new grammatical ground. Then, "You thought you were Jesus, but you find out you're the anti-Christ" -- which is a bummer and a bum lyric, too. And though this is the disc's longest song (at 4:43), it's still impressive how much (intentional) musical repetition can be crammed into such a short time, the circular sonics sliding off the great Cosmic Wheel, continually unfolding and falling off the slippery slope of meaning . . .

Sorry, I spaced. What's good here is the band -- augmented by many guests, including such anti-lethargic ingredients as bassists Mike Watt and Flea -- and Farrell's singing, since he keeps his trademark asexual child's screech to a minimum. They use various textural change-ups within a song to keep interest from flagging, sometimes just a switch from acoustic to electric, often the interjection of a not immediately identifiable sound. I think I keep hearing seagulls in the background, but I don't want to commit.

Farrell's lyrics work best when he doesn't try to delineate some indescribable chemical insight. "100 Ways," "Tahitian Moon," and "Wishing Well" are notable for their simplicity, even as the music remains giddy and game. In fact, there's a distinct Moody Blues vibe running through "Wishing Well," which is weird in a nice way; and "Tahitian Moon" sounds like Yes only more pretentious, which is great. Two other highlights are "Bali Eyes," an ode to mushroom euphoria, and the almost funky "Dogs Rule the Night," which is Bo Diddley run through a blender. Overall, then, a cool menu, easy on the angst, playfully serious, and, best of all, short and sweet.