After listening to De-Loused in the Comatorium, I didn't think that The Mars Volta could do better. It wasn't possible. So when a copy of Frances the Mute came into my possession, I approached with apprehension. To be perfectly honest, the first time I pushed play on my CD player to listen to Frances, I was just as scared as I was ecstatic/excited. As I would soon find out, I had nothing to fear.

Sure, the first time I listened to it, I wasn't thrilled with Frances the Mute; one of the songs had a 4-minute-long introduction of nothing but squeaks, groans and whistles, and another clocked in at over 30 minutes. Self-indulgence, anyone? But this album is tricky; the more times I listened to it, the more hooked I became. With each new listen, new pieces to the puzzle were revealed, new aspects were found that I hadn't even begin to notice the first few times. I"m still learning from this album... it's the gift that never stops giving.

The first song, "Cygnus, Vismund Cygnus" starts the album off at a quick-paced insane frenzy, in which there are equal parts of genius, spanish, and Chili Peppers influence. Flea and John Frusciante's influence definitely shine through here, along with ample sprinklings all over the album. "The Widow," the second track, is the album's first single for which there has already been made a video. It is easy to see why it was chosen as the single, not only is it haunting and mysterious, but it is also the only song on the album that clocks in under twelve and a half minutes. "L'Via, L'Viaquez" begins with a 40 second near-silent introduction, only for the serenity to be blasted out of the water with an explosion of hispanic beauty that makes me want to run out and learn to salsa, tango, and pole dance at the same time. Sang pretty much all in Spanish (with an occasional few lines of english), "L'Via" goes back and forth between fast and slow, loud and quiet, sane and insane, and, at times, from speaker to speaker. Cedric jumps from near-primal screams to a passionate whispers and then back again all throughout the song, which finally ends in a distorted breakdown that leaves you feeling passionate, inspired, and dirty, all at the same time. "Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore" starts off with a 4 minute long intro in which a sea of haunting voices join to form an eerie, ghostly (no pun intended) mix that sounds like it could be the soundtrack of the afterlife. This is pierced by romantic trumpets and guitar, followed by Cedric's voice, a beautiful whisper filled with what seems like endless longing and pain. Strings join in, and the overall effect is gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. This is one of my personal favorite songs of all time (definitely top 5). Lastly comes "Cassandra Gemini," a half an hour of greatness. A seemingly inhuman voice rolls out a few lines of seemingly random nonsense that when read literally make absolutely no sense whatsoever, but, it's a mystery to me how they manage it, somehow seem to make sense in context of the music. The entire song is genius; that is, assuming you have the capacity to sit still long enough to listen to the entire thing (I assure you, the time goes by fairly quickly, so don't start listening if you have somewhere important to go). There is another track that is to be added when Frances the Mute is officially released that supposedly acts a some kind of a "decoder" for the rest of the album (who knows... if anyone can do it though, these guys can), but I do not have it on my copy.

Overall, this album is amazing. Upon first listening, it might not seem so, but with each additional listen, your appreciation for the genius that is The Mars Volta will only grow. Take the time to buy this one when it comes out in March, it's definitely worth your time. I know I will.

Recommended: Yes