by Cammila AlbertsonMike Patton's "pop" project Peeping Tom kept fans waiting for a really, really long time. Consequently, the four years between its inception around 2002 and fruition in 2006 were a gestation period for urban-legend speculation about the record's sound to flood the public consciousness. Was he really working with Norah Jones? What did he mean by "pop record"? Given the thrashing, acidic nature of Patton's other projects like Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, and Tomahawk, nobody expected this album to be "Mike Patton Sings Boyz II Men," and most fans figured the notoriously enigmatic musician was just messing around. Peeping Tom makes a good case for itself as a pop\rock record or even as an alternative hip-hop record, but honestly, the most telling way to describe the album is as a Mike Patton record. As usual, the esoteric songster has used a new project as the means to create an entirely fresh and distinct rock style. The hip-hop presence on the disc is obvious, but Patton has assimilated it into his project so nimbly that the music isn't easily classifiable as hip-hop, rock, or pop. For instance, on "Mojo," the album's first single, gangsta-style squealing synths and reverb bass push ahead while Patton embraces a slicker and smoother incarnation of his Faith No More-era voice, slinking through the song with his trademark blend of clean vibrato, nasal tension, and belting clarity. This is not any kind of rap-rock that's been heard before and bears no likeness to Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, or even Faith No More. ... Read More...