Album: Alexander, Alexander (Rough Trade)

How do you begin to assess an artist whose work – in both his Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros mode and here – ranges from the sublime (the hippie-hip-hop-meets-Morricone classic "Truth") to the ridiculous (the Dylan pastiche that is "Bad Bad Love")?

Here's how: approach it with the same reckless abandon Alexander Ebert employs to make music. There's a master at work here and if he finds his filter he'll no doubt lose some of that fairy dust.