Hallelujah the Hills have promised to release 33 albums by the time they break up. It's a dubious vow—let's face it, even obvious influence Guided by Voices, home base for the uber-prolific Robert Pollard, didn't approach that number. Regardless, we'd be satisfied with just a few more efforts from this Boston band, provided they're as good as the first, the exuberant "Collective Psychosis Begone."

The album hangs together surprisingly well for a debut, impeccably arranged and supremely confident, speaking of scientists, "mathmagicians" and teenage synesthetes. It's as full of instrumention as it is lyrical oddities—you'll hear horns, Moog, cello, organ, and more in addition to your basic guitar/bass/drums. Whether they're channeling the lo-fi spirit of GBV on "Wave Backward to Massachusetts," busting out the cello for a boisterous self-titled "fight song" or laying a slow acoustic tune over the sounds of bubbling water and warbling birds, this band is giving their all to the music, and the music is giving it back. The overall feeling is one of woozy euphoria on a par with Neutral Milk Hotel. Hallelujah, indeed!