Pain, Pleasure, Fear, and Opera, the latest recording from local band Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, is a conceptual leap forward. After the good-natured hijinks of their first record and the power of their last live record, this new record seems meticulously put together, but still has the gonzo spontaneity that these six musicians are know for. The songs here have harmonies that reach toward Beach Boys heights and tight playing, but at the same time at any given moment they stop suddenly and change tempos or dynamics and barrel forward at the speed of light. The musicality of the band and this record, which includes horns, strings, and miscellaneous percussion including tympani, allows Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes to take these songs any way that they want. In that way, the record has moments that recall Frank Zappa’s best performances.

Although this CD comes across as a more serious effort, there are still funny moments all over the record, whether it’s the breakdown in “Everybody Got Trouble” where the band yells, “Remember that the Dirty Notes are on your side!” or the faux Dragnet spy vibe of “So Dirty.” And you can almost see the smiles on the faces of the band during the mariachi horn exchanges in “Sherm,” especially during the animal calls and circus music quotes. Overall, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes’ Pain, Pleasure, Fear, and Opera has a little bit of all four concepts and shows that this funk-rock band is moving in a worthwhile direction.