Frankly, I was a bit surprised to find that Adult Rodeo had put out a second album. Maybe that's mean. I don't intend it to be mean-- it's just that their first album, while pretty great in its own right, seemed the ne plus ultra of what I call niche rock: an extremely limited formula which might appeal to an extremely limited audience, and which resists repetition. Y'know, like, what's the point of eight Dread Zeppelin records? What's the point (beyond keeping the poor guy off the streets, I mean) of more than one Wesley Willis song?

Of course, first impressions aside, Adult Rodeo aren't a novelty act or a bunch of heavily medicated, 300 pound, ex-homeless schizophrenics. Still, it was difficult to imagine what kind of departure they might make from their last album, The Kissyface, outside of several lateral moves culminating in a descent into absurd self-parody, a la the Dead Milkmen.

But I ignored one all-important possible permutation: they just might write better songs. Well, paint my nails and call me Mable, that's exactly what they went and did. The songs on Texxxas are more full-bodied and robust than those on The Kissyface, with a less jokey bouquet and a much more complex finish. They're catchier, the melodies are more fetching, and the vocals are less grating. The lyrics, naturally, are as surreal as ever, but they're not quite as easy to ignore on this outing.

Adult Rodeo haven't altered their sound too much-- actually, make that "at all"-- and this album shares the first's main weaknesses: it's too long and heavily front-loaded, with the less compelling stuff trailing near the end of the disc. But the guys still manage to handily prove that their signature sound is worth returning to, and once you get past that first impression, Texxxas becomes extremely likable.

-Zach Hooker