Martin Tielli is a god. You have probably never heard of him but that does not detract from his godliness. Whether it’s his solo material, his work with The Rheostatics or Nick Buzz, anyone who has ever seriously tried to emit listenable noises from a guitar should worship Tielli.
His sublime solo debut, 2001’s We Didn’t Even Suspect That He Was The Poppy Salesman, absolutely shattered the notion of what an acoustic album could be.
Staying true to his eclectic nature, Operation Infinite Joy sounds nothing like Poppy Salesman. This album is definitely rockish, with songs such as "Sergeant Kraulis," which could well be one of the best songs of the year.
Other offerings have a slower, brooding feel to them while others change tempo so many times they can’t be classified. Lyrically, Operation Infinite Joy opens with the lines "I hate you all/you smell like borrowed ideas," and proceeds to be quintessentially Canadian–Winnipeg, Brampton and Pierre Trudeau are all mentioned.
What else can I say? Buy this album, go to the concert on Fri., Oct. 17 and love your new-found god. Ah, blasphemy.