The Soft Machine are a rightfully-named band. Their compositionally-layered blend of jazzy, psychedelic rock with frantic organ playing sounds like a machine straight out of a cartoon huffing and puffing, tooting and whistling while it bounces around, blowing smoke everywhere. Seriously though—that organ. Mike Ratledge is incredible here, and gives even Ray Manzarek a run for the title of best keyboardist of the ’60s. Both make me question ever idolizing Jon Lord, though he deserves major credit for making organs work in the context of hard rock and heavy metal.

Though the band have a distinct style, and The Soft Machine is full of innocent fun and high energy, you still have to write some good tunes. Great guitar and organ grooves showing up now and again can only excuse so much. They sound a bit reserved when it comes to their jazz sound, seemingly unwilling to move too far from traditional ’60s psych rock. This may be what’s holding them back to their pop structure, which doesn’t do them any favors. Best cut is “Lullabye Letter.”