Mukala
"Fiction" (CD)

It's amazing how quickly something can sound "dated." I've had this record in my collection since it was new (1999-ish?) and it has made journeys from MN to OH to DC to SD. That's a lot of miles for a CD that I've probably listened to only a dozen times or so.

I think I'm closer to figuring this album out: Dan Mukala, the founder/band leader was a composition major in college. I think this helps to point out the origin of such an eclectic collection of styles. Borrowing cues from another 90's Christian music star, Carman, Dan Mukala tries to dip his toes in many different genres. His downfall occurs when he thinks he's equally capable of all of these styles. His vocal style resembles a lot of the surfer ska-minded west coast singing and the musical production is constantly shifting underneath his feet.
The songwriting is always quirky and off-the-wall, but not really enough for it to feel more than flavor-of-the-year.