Album of the Day

Sleeping in Traffic, Part 2, by Beardfish (2008): Beardfish hit the big time (so to speak) when they played ProgDay in 2006, during which they played the 35-minute title track from this album. Judging from the early reviews, their set at NEARFest last weekend also went down a storm. As it should. The band's sound is firmly rooted in 70s prog, with some Zappa overtones in place, and is always playful, interesting, and memorable. However, following up on the length of CD screed from the other day, is there any point to having 40 minutes of music aside from the half-hour plus title track? Again, some judicious editing and this is a masterpiece, rather than just excellent.