This Bark Haze disc is a slow boiler. Thurston Moore and Gown?s guitars are set against a backdrop of edge of consciousness drone as the two players bust some restrained and truly innovative fret work. Though the Bark Haze have jammed with others in the past, here it is just the two guitars recorded in stark fidelity.

The album is split into two long pieces. The first ?Punchline 1? is the most minimal. Though the music here sounds improvised, it is clear that a lot of duo mind-meld concentration has gone into the sounds on this track. Each touch of those steely livewire strings is considered. The track builds from shifting crackles and tentative figures into a wiry almost raga.

?Punchline 2? begins in a similar fashion. A crackling guitar sound is alloyed with a distorted synth like drone to create a menacingly charged atmosphere. These guys have some totally amazing guitar peddles and they know how to use ?em.

?Total Joke Era? is a really exciting guitar album, alive with improvisational energy and expertly directed creative impulses. Total heat.

The vinyl only companion album ?LP?, also on Important, is similarly high-grade. 8/10 -- Cola Nitida (3 April, 2007)