‘The Last Rotation of Earth’ is filled with found-under-the-sofa pop culture references: Dickinson’s Real Deal and Homes Under the Hammer, par exemple. It finds these name-drops so amusing that it doesn’t so much riff off them as simply laugh at the fact of having said them. The effect has charmed critics, but TLROE’s loudmouth irony dwarfs its heartfelt instrumentals to make both feel inane. Too often, the writing is piss-takingly nonsensical: “That’s enough similes – who am I, Jonathan Steinbeck?” is a ridiculous lyric, sir. Structurally, this album is a whirlwind and deserves credit for its unabashed risks. I did not find its lyrical quirks as interesting as Brian Christinzio.
16/30
A favourite: ‘I’m Ugly’
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