"For what it is, it isn't bad." Ever heard that expression before? Yeah, you've used it plenty of times. In fact, I have a list of the things you recently described with this exact phrase. May I? Ahem: the last [aging director/wacky physical comedian] movie, [aging author]'s last novel, [popular magazine]'s list of the [round number] best [units] of all time, the [film adaptation/remake] of [video game/older film], the new [young pop diva] single "with the decent chorus melody," the last album by [gimmicky band/artist]...

Think it's a coincidence that my list stopped at that particular item? Think again, my friend. Atom and His Package is the communal name for singer/guitarist Atom Goren and the sampler/sequencer he programs as his accompaniment. "Gimmick," you say? "Gimmick," I respond. "Good gimmick?" you ask. "That depends," I answer. "Upon what?" you inquire. "Shut the fuck up," I reply. "I'm getting to it." You are silent.

Yes, it is a gimmick, but it doesn't truly shape his music. Since his debut release, 1997's The First CD, Goren has played simple synth/guitar-pop with an occasional punk edge and a truly goofy attitude, and there's nothing different on his latest LP, Redefining Music. I can see how people would find this type of album or artist incredibly annoying, or at least antithetical to any desire for variety. But at times, Goren's whimsical attitude is perfect for that sort of mood. It's fun, innocent music for the hyperactive 13-year-old in you. And for what it is, it certainly isn't bad.

Atom often shows his influences on Redefining Music. First, there's the category of "hey, that reminds me of [some other band], but it isn't." Because of the sequencer, there's an early-TMBG sensibility to much of the proceedings, although the music is less cerebral than the Giants' MIDI days. But "Trump" has a Frank Black vibe to it, with a whispered chorus over traditional rock 'n' roll riffs and clanging cowbell. And "Before My Friends Do" features a 2/4 groove with staccato guitar chords and retro synthesizer implicative of the Police's more upbeat tracks.

Then there's the category of "hey, that reminds me of-- wait, it is!" First, he covers "Seed Song" by the Mountain Goats, lending his peppy, kitsch in lieu of the Goats' acoustic folk, while keeping the melody and the poetic, surprisingly non-ironic lyrics intact. Then, he covers "Going to Georgia," by... the Mountain Goats. Same thing there. Then, for a change of pace, he covers "Alpha Desperation March" by the Mountain Goats. To his credit, his liner notes tell us to "seriously, go buy one of their records already." Then, a song later, he covers Madonna's "Open Your Heart." It's an absurd rendition-- one of the only moments on the record where the silliness goes just a bit too far. Still, it's not out of place on a record filled with such screwball humor.

Atom's original material deals with everyday musings and contemplations, the liner notes offering details explanations beneath each song. "Mission 1: Avoid Job Working with Assholes," a kooky hybrid of arena rock and dance music, features the chorus: "To avoid the job with the assholes/ To amass ad time for the Super Bowl/ These are ambitions, goals, goals!" Such a lyric wouldn't make much sense or be so amusing if he didn't write that, besides being annoyed with such assholes, another goal of his is "to obtain all the Super Bowl advertisement time, with which I could put together a montage of hours of really irritating shit." And "For Franklin" is one of a couple of truly innocent, sentimental tunes-- it mourns the death of a band he knew and quotes a lyric from one of their songs. The sentiment actually works.

My personal favorite of the originals is entitled "If You Own the Washington Redskins, You're a Cock." It's a truly rocking tune with a rootsy verse riff and melodic power distortion elsewhere, complete with an "'88 tough guy chorus." But it's Atom's tirade that operates the song-- not only because it's funny, but also because when you stop and think, he actually makes a well-planned argument for "warrior Native American" team names and mascots being offensive. He covers all the bases; for example, what about the Angels, or the Saints? Isn't that offensive to Christians? "When there's a Jesus Christ mascot," he replies, "with a hot-dog-shooting crucifix thing, nailed to a cross, dying to 'save' the team.../ Until then, you're not right." He ends the song with a fully intended, fully respectful, and fully Atom-style homage to Le Tigre: "What's your take on the Washington Redskins?/ What's your take on the Cleveland Indians?"

So sure, he goes by just Atom, and sure, he refers to the Package as a separate entity. And he even realizes it's a gimmick. But gimmick aside, he manages to make some fun music. Granted, Redefining Music is not for everyone, and it's not for anytime, and it's nothing particularly fascinating or original, and hell, it's not that different from his other records. But Atom does have a unique sound that makes him just that much more recommendable than the rest of the pack, and he's certainly a million miles ahead of any of the pop-punk hacks of the world. In fact, for what it is, it's actually pretty good.

-Spencer Owen