The A side of this 7" has an alluring and fractured sensibility. The hypnotic effect is like sitting in a car in the desert, turning the radio dial, and stumbling upon ancient transmissions returning from deep space. Valentine's elusive lyrics ensure that the exact reason why he has chosen to consider the great writer, along with baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan, remains a puzzle. Perhaps it hints at an encounter similar to Dick's VALIS. I only wish the latest scandal to "rock" baseball could be the discovery that Ryan is an android.
The flipside, "We Can't Build You," is a longer piece with a title negating that of a P. K. Dick short story. It is even less decipherable, with a similarly sparse atmosphere, slightly more effusive guitar effects and an occasional bend into a warped doo-wop or rural blues sensibility. The only problem with this strange addition to the ever-expanding body of work inspired by PKD is that it is not a whole album.
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