YOU DON'T LOVE ME YET

Hearing Lethem giving his characters the exact amount of quirkiness he intends is a delight. And his characters are definitely quirky. Against a background of failed sexual encounters we hear about a kangaroo rescued from the zoo and set up in a bath tub, a conceptual artist who organizes a pseudo complaint phone line, a party given by an armpit-sniffer that's not really a party, complete with non-food and a silent band going through the motions. However, the party-goers eat the food, the unknown band is heard and noticed, and an obscure complainer with a knack for the quick phrase is pushed to the spotlight. This is a Los Angeles few listeners would have imagined. R.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 07]