Neutral Milk Hotel is basically the handiwork of Ruston, Louisiana's Jeff Mangum and whoever he happens to have around at the moment - in this instance: Robert Schneider (who also produced the album) and Hilarie Sidney of the Apples in Stereo, Lisa Janssen of Secret Square, and Rick Benjamin on trombone. After two singles for the Seattle micro-indie label Cher Doll, Mangum found himself being pursued by a few larger labels and settled on the North Carolina upstart Merge, with On Avery Island being the resulting debut. Musically, it's a fuzzed-out take on psych-folk/pop music, with Mangum's voice, phrasing and stream-of-conscious lyrics calling forth such luminaries as Syd Barrett, Richard Thompson, and Bob Dylan (well okay, only slightly, but still . . .) to mind. "Song Against Sex" sets the tone for much of the album: clipped acoustic guitars, distorted bass, alternately comical or plaintive trombone, and Jeff's lyrical flights of fancy. The instrumental "Marching Theme" recalls the Beatles' "Baby, You're A Rich Man" with its odd use of Middle-Eastern horn before it descends into a mess of feedback and buzz. "Naomi" is a beautiful love song featuring a soaring chorus that sends shivers down my spine each time I hear it. Drone enthusiasts should check out the thirteen-minute "Pree-sisters Swallowing A Donkey's Eye", where various Indonesian instruments are broken out for hypnotic effect. Great album. (4/5)