Whatever Brains Lp....

i ordered this Whatever Brains Lp a while back from Sorry State and have been slacking on getting it up here since the layout is so involved (what can i say, even i have my lazy moments...). anyway, Thomas Dean came up with some really cool abstract illustrative art for the front and back cover concept of this Lp. it has a bit of a "doodle" feel to it, but it also has a lot of intricacy and a little too much of its' own rhythm to it for me to actually think that. i like the variation in the line work, it looks like there are a couple different main sizes being mixed up in here....

one thing that is a little confusing to me about this layout is why they chose to have an additional little spine cover included on the outside of the jacket when all the information that it holds could have very easily been worked into the actual front and back cover. i don't really feel that it adds anything to layout, maybe if it was printed in a pop color or something i would feel different....

i really like this back cover illustration! it kind of looks like a ship with a bunch of eyes worked into it. great little Whatever Brains type illustration at the bottom too! stick that thing on the left chest of a t-shirt with the artwork on the back... and watch out, you're lookin sharp!....

oh, did i forget to mention that these covers are gatefolds!?!?! awesome! open it up to reveal a crazy looking full color collage. i really like all the imagery they chose to use, but the flow between the left and right panels is a bit stiff. i tend to like my gatefolds to have really comprehensive spreads if you are going to go for one big theme for the two sides. oh well, still really cool....

as if that wasn't enough to look at, there is also a lyric book included (yes, a book.)! this is an 8.5" x 11" book printed with black ink on newsprint paper, staple bound and cut to perfection. each page is pure photocopied eye candy....

these are some really nice A and B labels too. they have a perfect balance of being hand done while still retaining a strong sense of design and clarity....

i should also mention that this comes with a free download card which also contains a few of their earlier ep's in the folder, so it is well worth your money! support good labels and cool bands....