Justin Pearson. The only person who you could hear Mike Patton say “Goddamn, that guy’s in a lot of bands”. And it’s true. The list of groups Pearson has been a part of reads longer than his lyric sheets.
But within the myriad of music the man has released, Planet B is somewhat of an anomaly. There are synths. There are turntables. There is a purveying dystopian futuristic vibe. But, like almost all of Pearson’s work, Planet B tends to defy categorization. Although I’m pretty sure that in the year 2274, when we’re all living in domed cities, Fiction Prediction will be the last thing you hear before dying in Carousel.
Like their first self-titled album, the syncopated beats run throughout, but never to the point of tedium. The backing beats and assorted disquietude are more dense on this sophomore effort. It helps, of course, that Luke Henshaw keeps things rolling with well, everything. The guy’s a mad scientist.
Like the debut album, Fiction Prediction has its share of guests. This isn’t stunt-casting like you’d find on other albums, mind you. Pearson’s voice is relentlessly idiosyncratic but can often sound best with a counter-balance - as evidenced by his work with CrowJane on “The Baader Review” or with Kent Osborne on “Rack More Brains” - two album standouts.
It should be noted that Fiction Prediction features some of the final work of both Eric Livingston and Gabe Serbian, two exceptional musicians gone far sooner than they deserved.
While it would be dismissive to call Fiction Prediction a “challenging” listen, there’s a scalding warmth to it all that proves that you can indeed find comfort in chaos.
