The whole thing could be one big jam in one of the band member’s garages, and the effect that the unmastered production has is tailor-made for the desired motif.
Dynamics are dialed in, guitars are honed, but the human element comes through. It’s rock and roll to the bone. It’s flower-power hardcore.
The album may have fewer peaks and less of the dark low-end and urgency that made their debut so incredibly compelling, but it is remarkable in its consistency.
The most interesting parts of Cruise Your Illusion show Milk Music having potential to outgrow their SST roots and bloom into something completely different.
Cruise Your Illusion holds its ground, but there are sociological elements to Milk Music's story that make the experience of the record even more fun.
The highs on The Men’s album are higher than Milk Music’s, but ‘Cruise Your Illusion’ is the more cohesive statement. And 2013 has more than enough room for both of them.
From the lean, scrappy production value to the grandiose guitar solos and Alex Coxen’s wobbling, vocal delivery a la Grant Hart, the record has the messy fingerprints of indie rock’s cherished first wave smeared all over it.
A great jam, full of immediate hooks and flashy melodies that, while satisfying, don't always stick.