All hail Brute Force

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Brute Force.

A north Jersey native born under the name of Stephen Friedland, Brute Force is something of a cult icon in the psych rock world thanks to his decidedly-NSFW single for the Beatles' Apple Records, "King of Fuh," and his 1967 debut LP for Columbia Records, "I, Brute Force - Confections of Love," recently re-released by Bar/None Records.

Combining psychadelia, classic American song-craft and anarchic comic irreverence in a style that should immediately resonate with fans of Harry Nilsson, "I, Brute Force" left me with two thoughts when it was over: "What the hell was that?" and then, "Whatever it was, I think I need to listen to that again."

Not everything works on "I, Brute Force" - some of this is just too weird, like the jaunty little piano ditty "To Sit on a Sandwich" - but even when he falters Bruce Force still gets points for unrestrained conviction, unhinged creativity and a disarmingly adept sense of melody.

In keeping with the whole off-kilter tone of "I, Brute Force," the album's two best songs are relegated to bonus track status: the laid-back "Hello Moscow" and the quite lovely "King of Fuh," which surely would have been a mainstream smash if not for its cheekily obscene lyrics.

As the album turns quickly from a warped riff on "Bye, Bye Birdie"-style musical theater ("The Sad World of Mothers and Fathers") to a bombastic interpretation of Donovan-esque baroque pop ("No Olympian Height") and several destinations beyond, a listener could think they were being driven on a whirlwind tour of musical styles by a particularly talented madman - and they might be right.

Folks wanting to experience Brute Force in person in his home state will have two chances this summer: he will perform Friday, June 10, at the Record Collector in Bordentown and on July 10 at Maxwell's in Hoboken.

For more information on Brute Force, visit his official website.