I’ve been avoiding this album since I got it because I thought the name "The Pee Wee Fist" was totally stupid. Once again, my judgmental nature got the better of me. Full of resonating, heavy pop, Flying is the Kimchee Records debut from this unfortunately-named band. There’s a nice texture to these songs, kind of like a Veluxe blanket -- you know, sort of velvety, but a little thicker, with greater friction.

The album comes out like gangbusters with the opening track, "The Seeds of the Day, Parts 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3". It’s a bold move to open your album with an eight-minute epic, but the song's variety and poppy energy saves it from being tedious. I really like Peter Fitzpatrick’s vocals here; there’s something almost post-punk about them, yet they’re shrouded in brooding pop. It’s a pretty neat trick.

What really makes Flying click is the fact that The Pee Wee Fist never quite do what you expect them to do. A nice, melodic vocal line suddenly pitches up an octave. A drifting tune will spontaneously syncopate. A simple, seemingly straightforward song will open up into a three-part harmony, complete with...wait, is that a tuba!? They do all of this without jarring you out of your reverie; the quirks always come as pleasant surprises.

I wish the CD booklet included the lyrics to "Pedicure". It’s so upbeat, and at times crazy, that I find it difficult to believe they’re really singing about feet with such joy and brassy (as in trumpet) abandon.

The Pee Wee Fist are regularly compared to Elephant Six collective bands like Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control. Those bands are giant question marks in my musical knowledge, so I don’t know if it’s an accurate comparison -- but if it is, The Pee Wee Fist has encouraged me to check them out.