When
Dean Ween
recorded his first album with the
Dean Ween Group
, he assumed
Ween
was over -- an illusion that was punctured by the time the album hit the stores, thanks to a reunion with
Gene Ween
to play a pair of concerts in early 2016. One show begat another, leading to
's revival as a touring band, but the group stayed out of the studioâ?¦or, more accurately,
stayed out of the studio.
built a studio in house and recorded incessantly with the
, who just happened to be comprised of the same players who make up
. As such,
Rock, Vol. 2
could possibly be mistaken for a new
record but it is also very much an album that doubles down on all of the idiosyncrasies of
. Filled with heavy riffs and bawdy jokes,
is "brown" in a way 2016's
The Deaner Album
was not.
bore some measure of major-label polish, but
is intentionally ragged -- an album where vibes overrule songs. That's not to say there aren't good songs here -- "Don't Let the Moon Catch You Crying," co-written with
Low Cut Connie
's
Adam Weiner
, is a lovely pop ballad, "Waste Station 9" sends up sci-fi, "Yellow Pontiac" crunches hard, and "Pussy on My Pillow" turns "Help Me Make It Through the Night" into something cheerfully vulgar -- but half of the record consists of composed instrumentals, ranging from the snickering surf of "Fingerbangin'" to the dreamy "Sunset Over Belmar." All this makes
feel appealingly minor, the work of a rocker who has the ability to indulge all of his whims, so he does. The difference between
and a record created alone at home is that
is supported by a crackerjack rock band who share his tastes, so the album crackles with an energy that supersedes the slightness of the songs. It's an album that celebrates the joy of making music -- and making noise -- and that's an attitude that's infectious. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine