Funki Porcini's second album,Love Pussycats & Carwrecks, starts off with the feline and sensuous "Purrfect," an auspicious start if ever there was one. "Groover," however, starts in with the off-kilter jazz, with some sweeps that sound almost like a dying vacuum cleaner. Indeed, Funki seems to move away from the smoothness of his previous album and more keen on introducing elements of noise. "Last Song" has plenty, as does "12 Points Off Your Licence," with its modulated horn stabs and compressed squelches of sound. He seems to be exploring the idea of sound: "Carwreck" has a skittering energy, while "Elephantitus" wanders from one idea to the next. "Venus" hearkens back to the earlier album, though it does embrace some of the chaotic zeitgeist. "I'm Such a Small Thing" takes the ambient tack, and "Going Down" takes out the album in that mellow, sleepy vein. While not as immediate asHed Phone Sex, this album certainly offers its own pleasures.