Ah, the tangy zip of paradox. Just a subtle hint of it can work wonders on an album, its own inherent, unsettled contradictions making it all the more affecting and interesting. And managing to work truckloads of it into an album is one of the greatest achievements a band can hope for.

Though paradox is oft employed to various extents both lyrically and musically, it's pretty rare that an album's entire existence hinges on one. But such is the case with Colonel Jeffrey Pumpernickel, a sufficiently bizarre and oddly successful concept album that pits the disjointed nature of a compilation and the cohesiveness of a concept album against each other in a fight to the death. A concept album, by definition, is held together by universal themes that give the album an almost theatrical flow. But the 14 songs on Colonel Jeffrey Pumpernickel are not only performed by a pretty wide array of artists, but composed by them as well. So, can 14 different artists, given only bits and pieces of a vague theme to work with, put together a coherent concept album? Let's examine:

The first thing you'll probably notice about this record is its thoroughly impressive roster. Guided by Voices, Stephen Malkmus, Quasi, Mary Timony, the Minus 5, Sentridoh, and Grandaddy, to name a few, lend original songs. What's really amazing is that these are all top-notch songs in the style of the artists who wrote and performed them. No filler, no crap-- just some really inspired, original tunes.

So, given the stylistic variety between these artists (which is not vast, but still worth mentioning), it's been established that Colonel Jeffrey Pumpernickel is a pretty varied album. And yet, as is clearly stated on the album cover itself, it's a concept album, which implies that there's some degree of cohesiveness that pulls everything together. Luckily, the concept itself is nebulous enough that the unifying themes can be vaguely present from song to song without the inclusion of gratuitous, stupid lyrics. Rather than screwing up good songs to make them fit the album's concept, the concept and the album seem to develop in perfect unity, painting a disturbing portrait of a military man with a an Oedipus complex who may or may not be a robot. Yeah, it seems like a bit much to swallow. But it's just the kind of sufficiently general yet oddly compelling story that makes for a perfect blend of coherency and freedom, both lyrically and musically.

While it's damned impressive that Chris Slusarenko, who conceived and compiled the record, actually managed to get the concept to work, the ridiculously high caliber of the majority of its songs is what truly astounds. Guided by Voices provide the opening and closing for the record-- apropos, considering Bob Pollard's fascination with rock operas and obtuse lyrics. Stephen Malkmus' "Blue Rash Intact" is a totally messed up, heavily effects-laden track that provides the perfect intro to the Freudian madness of Ann Magnuson & Dave Rick's "Dr. Mom." Quasi and Mary Timony proceed to temper the madness with some slick, shimmering pop. Then, the album takes its only major misstep, with the inclusion of Giant Sand frontman Howe Gelb's stripped-down acoustic "Hooker Instero," right between Timony's dense "Doom in June: The Secret Order of the Caterpillar" and the Minus 5's excellent "The Great Divider (My Ruffled Sleeve)."

Towards the end of the album, things slow a bit. Lou Barlow provides a typically despondent, moderately whiny track under his Sentridoh moniker, and Grandaddy contributes the excellent "L.F.O.," a track that would not sound at all displaced on The Sophtware Slump, both in terms of style and quality. The album closes with a reprise of GBV's "Titus and Strident Wet Nurse," with the Fading Captain pulling out an even bigger melody than the one he used the first time around.

When all is said and done, just about every aspect of Colonel Jeffrey Pumpernickel seems to fall into place perfectly. The bands are good, the songs are good, the sequencing is near-flawless, and the album's theme is ever-present, but non-intrusive. The dual nature of the album also gives it those two paradoxical qualities-- variety and cohesiveness-- so frequently lacking in compilations. And if that doesn't sell you, odds are, you've already developed a near-fanatical devotion to one of the artists represented here. Imagine how surprised you'll be when, after a few listens, you find yourself enjoying the whole album as much as the one song you bought it for.

-Matt LeMay