Musical oddballs The Residents have always strayed to the far ends of music's boundaries with their experimental films and albums. That reputation is kept very much alive with the release of their latest album Animal Lover, an hour-long whirlwind of avant-garde sounds and lyricism.

      But all of these elements stretch too far to enjoy or even appreciate. The album's concept revolves around literally taking us back to our roots as a species and exploring "animal love." To add even more realism to this concept, all the rhythm tracks are based on warped versions of the mating patterns of frogs, cicadas, humans and whales.

      The band makes it work in eerie, often jarring ways, manifesting into songs like "Ingrid's Oily Tongue" and "What Have My Chickens Done Now?" But much of this ends up a mess, with hideously dissonant choirs and repetitive bass and guitar lines. The album as a whole lives in its own murky, self-indulgent dream state where no one else is welcome.

      There are a few haunting, if barely bearable tunes such as "My Window" and "Dreaming of an Anthill (Teeming)." And credit must be given to the band for at least trying to make their experimentations somewhat coherent. In the end, it's likely that few albums will sound like Animal Lover. Whether that's for better or worse is arguable.

      For more information, check out www.residents.com