The consistently jittery, jarring tone of {^2012} is both consistent with {$Old Time Relijun}'s past releases, and not something that will be everyone's cup of tea, so consciously does it strive for an unsettled groove. Still, {$OTR} have undeniably developed a tighter sound over the years, and a funkier one that provokes comparisons to {\punk}-funkers such as {$James Chance}, complete with wailing, agitated saxophone. {$Arrington DeDionyso}'s vocal yelp will likewise sometimes bring to mind {$David Byrne}, albeit with far less {\pop}-friendly, more hysterical delivery and songwriting than {$Talking Heads} ever managed. It's not easy to follow what {$DeDionyso}'s going on about as his free-form impressions collide with the clattering musical elements sounding at angles with each other, but they do give off a vague sense of apocalypse. There are, however, some defter shadings here than in the past, whether the {\jungle}-like rhythms of {&"Reptilians,"} the buzzing pulse of {&"Magnetic Electric,"} some mild {\dub}-like vocal echo, and the creepy swamp-{\funk} of {&"Her Fires Chill Me."} Most surprising of all is the closing instrumental {&"The Blood and the Milk,"} whose combination of wobbly, incantational saxophone and funereal organ place it close to {\avant-garde jazz}-{\gospel} (which, in turn, won't fail to incite comparisons to some of {$Albert Ayler}'s work). The CD includes an MPEG video of {&"Cold Water,"} a song not on the album, filmed live in Italy. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide