The Schatzy Band, Nocturnal Wild Life Journal (Hot Spazz Records)

You might expect a band so connected to its live shows to get combative with its audience at some point, and the latest release by Schatzy (now called The Schatzy Band, perhaps in deference to its position as a local drunk-rock supergroup of sorts) shows signs of just such a strained relationship. This being Schatzy, however, it’s a funny, not tragically Floydian, dysfunction. The opening “Your Mama” may be a cleverly disguised tribute to mothers everywhere, but it certainly feels like a taunt. Same goes for the best track here, “Throw It in the River Cuz,” a classic case of self-loathing and projection. Songs like “Night Owls” sound like parodies of the band’s agreeably sloppy ethos, veering off the road so often they almost become painful. And what are we to make of a song whose chorus goes, “I’ve got something so important to say to you: blah blee blah blah blah blah blah blah blee bla bla”?

Okay, this quartet’s never been interested in Big Statements, although “Friendly Feelings” is just as articulate as anyone’s world-peace anthem, just less pretentious. And if you look close, you’ll find a few blues and zydeco-fueled stomps and shuffles perfect for the hard-partying collegiate; “Better Off Drunk,” “Piece of that Pie,” and “Too Many People Are Living in My Head” are self-explanatory. But the subdued, half-jokingly frustrated, even more off-kilter nature of Nocturnal Wild Life Journal makes you wonder how long the party can last.