Songs like "The Clockwise Witness", "Transliterator", "Along The Way", and "Basso Profundo" certainly are exotic, but without very much pretense. Utilizing instruments like bouzouki, violin, trumpet, accordion, and various and sundry percussion, they perform with a verve that's so lacking in a lot of music nowadays. The carnival atmosphere just adds to the proceedings, rather than get in the way. There’s absolutely no way these guys can't be extremely fun to see live.

A Mad & Faithful Telling is a sometimes manic, always interesting musical adventure.

Written by Dan Reed