Fans of twisted funk rock rejoice! The ambassadors of the abnormal, Primus, have returned with the “Brown Album.”Primus is a three piece band that’s known for its surreal lyrics and the bass playing of leader Les Claypool. The band also features longtime member Larry LaLonde on guitar and the newest recruit Bryan “Brain” Mantia on drums.The “Brown Album” continues in the Primus tradition of bizarre parables paired with nonsensical rants. The album kicks off with “The Return of Sathington Willoughby” a political rant that’s punctuated with outburst of Claypool’s and LaLonde’s funk improv’s. LaLonde manages to make his guitar sound like a hip-hop disc jockey’s ‘scratching’ while Claypool plays a solid bass line.The album slowly gets better from song to song. The first highlight is the current single “Shake Hands With Beef.” The band locks into a groove and holds on for dear life.Claypool’s singing and playing is relaxed while Brain beats the daylights of the drums. The lyrics make very little sense but the groove will make you sing along. It doesn’t matter that the chorus is “Pull out the cannon boys/Steal us some wine/Puff Tijuana Smalls/SHAKE HANDS WITH BEEF.”Other highlights include the Beatle-esque “Hats-Off,” the shortest song on the album, and the hip-hop jazzy vocals of “Kalamazoo.” They’re slight variations that stand out but still fit into the whole of the album.New drummer Brain is a welcome addition to the band. He’s showcased on the introductions to “Camelback Cinema,” “Bob’s Party Time Lounge” and “Arnie” among other songs. He holds the songs together with workmanlike precision. Overall he fits in well with the current path of Primus. In the past the charm and the curse of the band has been that the members sound as if they’re playing three different songs at the same time. This time around there seems to be more emphasis on playing together.Another difference is that the band chose to record in analog. This means no computer or digital recording techniques were used. As a result the album sounds as if it could have been recorded in the early to mid 1960s.The drums sound as if they were recorded in an abandoned warehouse using one microphone. At times you can’t make out the bass because the drums overpower it. This is the case in “Camelback Cinema.” This song may not sit too well, because so many fans are slavishly devoted to Claypool’s bass playing.Overall the “Brown Album” is good, but in one sitting the analog production becomes grating. A few songs could have been cut. For example, “Puddin’ Taine” is a circus-like dirge that obscures the lyrics, and “Restin’ Bones” drags on and on. If you’re already a Primus fan then this review is pointless, but for others after a few listens, the record reveals its charm.