After releasing two relatively restrained albums -- 2012's wistful
This Machine and 2016's smoothly trippy
Distortland -- in a row, it was inevitable that
the Dandy Warhols would throw caution, and cohesion, to the wind. Granted, style-hopping is a more expected form of expression for this band than picking a single sound and sticking to it, but from its title to the '30s pastiche of its opening track "Fred and Ginger,"
Why You So Crazy quickly alerts listeners that this is
the Dandy Warhols at their most eclectic. While they came up with plenty of ideas for their tenth album, too often it feels like they ran out of inspiration before they stopped recording. "Thee Elegant Bum" and the
Gorillaz-like "Terraform" are grooves that go nowhere, while "To the Church" and "Forever" are ghostly goth-pop sketches the band neglected to fill in with memorable songwriting.
The Dandys' lack of commitment on
Why You So Crazy is even more exasperating considering the glimpses of potential that pop up here and there. The band's fusion of country and electro-pop makes for some surprising highlights. "Highlife" is a glitchy, rowdy twist on the band's legendary hedonism made even more distinctive by
Zia McCabe's twangy lead vocals. "Sins Are Forgiven," which could be a ballad for space cowboys, is one of the album's best balances of irony and sincerity, and though the same can't be said for the smug, lazy parody of "Motor City Steel," it's still one of
Why You So Crazy's most fully realized tracks. Fortunately,
the Dandys are savvy enough to include a couple of tracks that play to their proven strengths: "Be Alright" is a fine example of their stratospheric pop, while the sinister, vaporous "Next Thing I Know" sounds like a perfect fit for the Veronica Mars reboot. Even with the six-minute finale "Ondine" taken into account,
Why You So Crazy is nowhere near as indulgent as
Odditorium or Warlords of Mars, an album that could genuinely make listeners wonder about the band's sanity. At once slight and overdone,
Why You So Crazy is one of the least rewarding trips
the Dandy Warhols have taken their fans on during their career. ~ Heather Phares
