The beings that comprise Man Or Astro-Man? claim to be aliens, yet since their space vehicle crashed to Earth in 1992, they've had a soft spot for good ol' American surf rock. EEVIAC, with its lengthy and forward-thinking subtitle, continues in the band's tradition of intergalactically tinted tunes. Thematically, the album charts a course of technological, scientific and computerized advancement, with such heavy-on-the-jargon titles as "Fractionalized Reception Of A Scrambled Transmission." Sonically, the album is a retro throwback, ironically dotted with futuristic clicks, beeps and loops. "Interstellar Hardrive" and "U-235/PU 239" are built around reverbed riffs that could have accompanied Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello's oceanside frolicking in Beach Blanket Bingo. But not all of EEVIAC sounds like it escaped from a '60s, fun-in-the-sun movie soundtrack. The grooves of both "D:Contamination" and "Reversal Of Polarity" are supplied by thumping drums, while "Psychology Of A.I." has all the elements of charring punk rock. EEVIAC is a complete and thorough package of entertainment, ideal for those who like to bury their noses in comic books or travel cross-country to Star Trek conventions.
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