Margot and the Nuclear So and So's deliver more than so-so CD with "Not Animals"

When judging a book (or in this case, a CD) by it's cover, my initial conclusion to what Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, "Not Animals" was going to sound like was another artsy, folksy experimental band that would drone me to sleep. In fact, listening to this 12 track album was quite enjoyable.

With the inclusion of the violin and lap steel, some songs do call to mind a country style, but not enough to ward off those who do not normally listen to that genre. This band seems to love surprising their listeners. With song titles such as "Holy Cow" and "Real Naked Girls", one would think they would be more up-tempo but they are in fact the opposite.

Truth is told, "Not Animals" consists of completely mellow indie rock songs. This is a great cd for relaxing or driving around a scenic route.

The soothing voice of vocalist Richard Edwards, accompanying the melodic piano and violin occasionally create a lullaby ambiance.

Some of the other songs like "Pages Written on a Wall" and "A Children's Crusade on Acid" provide energetic breaks.

The album was released by Epic records on Oct. 7 and is one of Margot and the Nuclear So and So's two recently released albums. The other, "Animal" is only available on vinyl and online.