Ween — The Friends EP

One of the keys to Ween's genius is the way they can devour any genre and plop out something messy and weird, but also true to its source. The Friends EP has Gene and Dean Ween stepping a little too close to Weird Al's territory, though. The title track is a hilariously air-headed Euro Rave. The party gets strung out on "I Got To Put The Hammer Down," a dance punk ode to gay sex and addiction. "King Billy" has a relatively straightforward reggae vibe that was co-produced by dancehall legend King Jammy and yacht rocker Michael McDonald. Latin jazz percussion grounds a scorching electric mariachi solo on "Lighten Up." The final slow dance, "Slow Down Boy," is almost a direct piss-take of Spandau Ballet's "True." As usual, the boys' superb compositions and musical chops save them from being a pure novelty act. But if this EP is any indication, the upcoming La Cucaracha album might be a silliest record we've seen from them since the '90s.

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