His next studio album of new material was not until 2002: "Big Swing Face". The album was Hornsby's most experimental effort to date; "Big Swing Face", the only album on which Hornsby barely plays any piano, relied heavily on post-electronica beats, drum loops, Pro Tools editing, and dense synthesizer arrangements. The album also boasts a "stream-of-consciousness wordplay" of lyrics that are in many ways more eccentric and humorous than previous work. "Big Swing Face" received mixed reviews, ranging from "a new and improved Bruce Hornsby" to being called one of the "strangest records of 2002".