Peeping Tom

Mike Patton has said that Peeping Tom and its self-titled debut is his version of modern pop music. Fine. But pop as we know it and Patton have very little to do with one another so you'd be remiss to expect a KISS-FM makeover on the former Faith No More frontman come Friday. The album features guest appearances by Dan the Automator, Kool Keith, Massive Attack, Bebel Gilberto, Kid Koala, Norah Jones and others, but it'd be virtually impossible for all collaborators to tour with Patton. The Dallas date is slated to include Dan the Automator (from the album's first single "Mojo") with Dub Trio opening (from the "We're Not Alone" remix), and that's great, but seriously, when has any fan gone to a Fantomas, Tomahawk, Mr. Bungle, etc. show to really see anyone but vocal acrobat Patton? (Though, to be honest, seeing Jones and Patton simultaneously coo the word "motherfucker" during "Sucker" might arguably be hot. Come home for this, Norah, come home.) Peeping Tom employs less of Patton's vocal prowess in terms of range and technique and more of his rapid enunciation and general dynamic strength. The album is far from the operatic haunts of Fantomas and more of an accessible compromise between Faith, Bungle and Tomahawk—sometimes rap/rock, sometimes melodic alt—with a little more sex kitten thrown in, so what's to come of the stage performance is truly a guess (based on every Dallas date he's played in the past 10, however, there may well be a fair lot of Patton's vocal improv). Though, without a doubt, Patton will put forth his trademark pressure-cooker energy—at once both twitchy and controlled...and alarmingly hypnotic.