"Spacestation" is led by Donnie P. and his fuzzy Wurlitzer organ. Aided by producer, co-songwriter and fellow keyboardist Pfilbryte (whose grandfather, animator Walter Lantz, drew the aforementioned cartoon), and a host of friends playing everything from soprano sax to cello, he's managed to create a collection of songs which add up to a lot more than the sum of their parts. There really aren't any obvious standout songs on, "There's Nothing Routine About Space Travel," nothing that you can point to and say, "They've got to release that as a single!" The album as a whole, though, is one you can put it the CD player and just leave on repeat all day.

Usually, I can pick a fave song or two off an album, and if I come back to the disc a year or two later, I'll still like those particular tracks best. On this disc, different days and different moods lead to different favorites on any given day - there's a little something for everybody. After a short, progressive tinged intro that completely validates the band's name, they launch into, "Yea Yea Yea." Built on the retro vibe that "Smashmouth" has been riding to the top of the charts in recent years, it's a reminder about the importance of back-up plans, "This might not be how you planned it/Sometimes you've got to crash land it." The retro thing is rounded out by a couple of 70s covers, including a bouncier version of Donovan's "Sunshine Superman," and a nicely updated take on "Summer in the City," with a new bridge reflecting today's realities, "Summer day in Y2K/My computer's down/Ain't no work today."

Later on, there are a few 'relationship' songs that guys could really relate to, like the one about the self-perceived loser who can't believe the luck he's having, "I'm ugly/She's Lovely/Yet she's still here with me/She must be out of her mind." It's nicely contrasted with "Lying," in which the guy gets caught trying too hard to impress his target, "I admit, I was lying just a little bit..." Unlike most songs of this nature, though, there isn't any hint of apology attached. Instead, the punch line is delivered with more than just a hint of a, "What are you gonna do about it?" attitude, "...these are competitive days.

There are even a couple of upbeat, chant-along jams. One asks, "If all you need is Love/Then what is up/With always wanting something," set to a happy go lucky guitar pop background. But this album is probably at its best when Donnie P turns down the instruments and turns up the intensity. If there were one song that 'hits' me more often than the others, it's a somber tune called, "Virtual Man," where the victim needs to take a good hard look at himself and the life he's leading. The songs opens with psychedelic background flourishes, and submerged vocals, "I get up again/I go to work/I'm clocking in/The Virtual Clerk. The chorus begs, somewhat desperately, "Lay your head on my chest/Can you hear anything?"

Together with the reflective, "Another Time," with its lyrics reminiscent of the Byrds' "Turn Turn Turn," "Spacestation" proves it can do the "serious" numbers as well as the funky retro pop stuff. These last two songs, especially, are aural feasts. As was the case with Pfilbryte's own recent solo disc, "Preservative Affirmative," this album has to be listened to through earphones to be fully appreciated. There's a lot going on, both in terms of instrumentation, and in the production aspect. The end result is an eclectic album, but one whose changes don't jar the senses (unlike "Preservative Affirmative). Instead, there's a good flow to the 12 tracks on "There's Nothing Routing About Space Travel," and plenty of good things to say about "Spacestation."