Since its inception Primus has been consistently on the verge of true obscurity. Although the band never quite goes all the way, they've maintained an eccentricity that can be endearing or exhausting. Primus' latest, "The Brown Album," due in stores Tuesday, is no exception. While there's a number of excellent songs here, the band seems to be treading water, and that's never good news in the land of the bizarre.

Frontman Les Claypool is a storyteller for the times, weaving tales of weirdo folks and situations. Some of Primus' standby characters have returned on "Brown," including Sathington Willoughby in the opening track and Bob Cock in "Bob's Party Time Lounge." Claypool rattles off a bevy of oddballs, auctioneer-style, in "Kalamazoo," and fleshes out a childhood rhyme in the loping "Puddin' Taine."

As always, Claypool's bass playing is untouchable -- hefty, elastic and wild. His kamikaze bowed bass on the bouncy "Coddingtown" (named for a Santa Rosa shopping mall) is one of the best bits on "Brown." Guitarist Larry La Londe's performances are animated as always, cleaving to Claypool's low end like a rollercoaster flying off its rails. New drummer "Brain" Mantia, formerly of the Limbomaniacs, proves himself as an able and fitting addition to the lineup.

Primus fans will enjoy "The Brown Album" simply because it's the latest product of Claypool's wacky world. But without experimentation, Primus' airs of obscurity come off as mere ostentation.

-- Beth Winegarner

This article was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle.