Puzzle

There is a long list of early '90s albums that were unjustly ignored in the wake of the era's grunge explosion. A lot of them were metal releases, but when it comes to alternative rock records, Dada's Puzzle would be right at the top. Psychedelia and sunny SoCal sounds undercut by healthy skepticism ("Dizz Knee Land") regarding the region's charms render Puzzle worthy of its title, an impression reinforced by the enigmatic, Rorschach-like cover art.

Power pop and even some funk add to the allure of this noir-ish album, which is as hard to classify as it is to resist.