Legendary Arizona alt-rockers Meat Puppets are back in fine form on Dusty Notes. The founding members enlist the help of keyboardist Ron Stabinsky, who owns the keys any style and Curt Kirkwood’s son, Elmo, to play some reinvigorated ’90s guitar rock.  

Opening track “Warranty” makes sure you know that this is their house. Mariachi-style trumpet synths lead us onwards with “Dusty Notes.” “The Great Awakening” has us floating on piano and guitar, bouncing each other off the clouds until a signature plummet into droning stomp riff city.  

Curt Kirkwoods’s songwriting is in fine form. A left turn into their Simon & Garfunkel inspired acoustic “Nightcap,” lands us on the doorstep of another left turn, while rotary organ lulls you into the psych episode that will remind you why these guys really like playing together. Not to be missed.  

At the end of this tour of the property, “Outflow” sounds like we are rolling over the waves, but you’re not sure if they are rowing you to dry land, or farther out into the blue. When did we get in a boat?  

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