Barry Crawford's vocals have a way of invoking details of the American landscape that defy naming - the endlessness of the plains, the stark reality brought out by the southern sun, the rasp of the wind as it blows through mountains and over wastelands. Joe R. Lansdale has a way of seeing the more surreal parts of Americana - westerns, freakshows, theories about Elvis's survival - and presenting them in a in a way so grotesquely fascinating they become unforgettable. Put these two styles together, you've got "Freezer."

A folk opera based off Lansdale's novel Freezerburn, Bazza's double-CD "Freezer" begins with the catchy "Mock Crest," segues into the part where a traveling company of sideshow freaks declare the mosquito-bitten narrator as one of them,  and after a few strange side-stops on the gritty odyssey you're at the explosive climax with "Firecracker." The music itself is relatively simple, with Bazza providing his own backing vocals through multitracking and accompanied by his guitar, but it's the catchy lyrics and hummable hooks that keep you wondering what will happen next. Alexander Zipper narrates the story between tracks with the raw voice of a wizened traveler who has seen more in his lifetime than most historians can believe has ever happened. Even if you didn't read the Lansdale novel, fans of Bazza and quality alt-country will find "Freezer" to be an ice-solid album.
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