Hovercraft: Akathisia

Hovercraft is in a unique fix when it comes to putting out a CD representation of its act: Live, the band accompanies its rambling, obtuse space-rock with bizarre films, but on disc, there's only sound and snazzy packaging. Consequently, Akathisia sounds mostly like one long, instrumental, inconsequential jam session, with five songs stretched out into 65 long minutes. You respect Hovercraft for not relying on programmed machines, and the band persistently works to create a compelling noise with its odd guitar tunings and ominous drums. But although "De-Orbit Burn" makes a sufficiently intriguing racket, the album as a whole isn't much of an experience without all the weird visuals. You'll hear a lot about Akathisia in the next few months—Hovercraft's mastermind is Beth Liebling, who, like it or not, is better known as Eddie Vedder's wife—but you probably should wait to plunk down money for it, at least until you equip your living room with a bad-ass film projector.