From its opening moments, it’s clear that Proud Trash Sound will probably place among the most unique albums you’ve ever heard. “Trash Sound,” a rough, jagged cocktail of farm animal sounds, primitive guitar melodies, and a sunny beauty that hides under the muck, sets the stage well for the rest of the record. Buck Young masterminds Jason Crumer and Zoe Burke (Sapphogeist) enlist a host of collaborators, including Christian Mirande, Matthew Schuff, and Alan Jones, to craft marvelously messy sonic paintings of a surreal Wild West. I’m going to be honest; going in to my first listen back when the album was first released on cassette, I didn’t expect this bat shit insane formula to accomplish anything beyond novelty appeal. But wow, was I wrong. These chaotic collages of dirty country tunes, obscure recordings, and Crumer’s trademark blasts of cathartic harsh noise initially seem random and slipshod, but further listening reveals a level of care in composition that seems to contradict the source material. This is where the charm of Proud Trash Sound is found; who else could stitch together such disparate elements into songs that are simultaneously hilarious, punishing, thrilling, and arrestingly gorgeous? Who else could follow up an amateurish guitar stomp about pussy pains and fuckboys with one of the most sublime, emotional tributes I’ve heard (rest in peace Mr. Christopher Alan Murdoch)? Buck Young, that’s who, and I sure hope they keep it up.

Proud Trash Sound was initially released as a cassette earlier this year, which has since sold out. You can (and should) purchase the LP version here.