Although it blasts off with the speed-rock assault “It’s Gonna Be a Long Night,” Ween’s eighth studio album is heavier on contemplative (and at times tender) moments than the band’s previous sets. “I Don’t Want It” and “Chocolate Town” are refreshingly straightforward and quite pretty, while “Among His Tribe” and “The Argus” echo the stately, Pink Floyd-ish moments of 1997’s nautical-themed “The Mollusk.” Still, there’s plenty of traditional Ween weirdness: the goofball voices and rinky-dink sound effects of “Happy Colored Marbles” and “So Many People in the Neighborhood,” the country-tinged kiss-off “Hey There Fancy Pants” and the maddening “The Fucked Jam.” At nearly an hour, “Quebec” can be a bit much to digest; it could have been trimmed by a couple of songs. Luckily, there’s a wide range of Ween’s multiple musical personas on display here, making it a worthy addition for devotees and recent converts.—JC
