The humble tortoise wins races, lends its name to custard-shop delicacies and lives as long, if not longer, than most humans, so it's not without reason that the Brannock Device declares that The Turtle Has Got It Made. But though its latest album title suggests shell envy, the trio need not lament its lot. As one of the deans of Kansas City's alt-rock scene, this jazz-punk juggernaut has injected explosive bass blasts, histrionic vocals and complex instrumental tangents into quirky pop tunes for more than seven years. Turtle, like its namesake, feels close to the ground, with an earthquaking rhythm section carrying the low-end load. But the Brannock Device, with its impressive agility and dizzying dervishes, zooms past sluggish reptiles -- and most of its relatively plodding-paced peers.
