Anyone desirous of a CD containing a sheet of strategically naked paper dolls of the band members will want the second album by the Milwaukee instrumental quartet Lova Nova. After that novelty wears off, there remain eight jams heavy on tight, fierce interplay between Paul "Evil" Kneevers' de facto lead organ and his bandmates' guitar, bass and drums. The music comes together at acute angles from jazz (both trad and smooth), prog rock, Southern '60s soul and whatever else strikes their fancy.
If We're All In It Together explores similar veins to Lora Nova's previous CD, it also ventures into fresh territory. Saxophone adds some swagger on a few numbers and vocals on a couple pieces add... words, though not enough to make anything here close to a "song." Forty years ago, this would have made especially brainy ambient music for a head shop. Lova Nova's musical intelligence and sonic pathfinding, however, keeps what they do from being a mere retro stoner curiosity and more a thing of propulsive, fun beauty—what you do with the paper dolls, however, is entirely your business.
