Daniel Johnston's major-label debut is, arguably, his finest moment.

With considerable help from Butthole Surfer Paul Leary, Johnston has never sounded so self-assured or confident before.

Some of the songs are more polished, but they're never slicked up to such a degree that this sounds like a user-friendly approximation of Johnston's style; in fact, there are plenty of tracks that return Johnston to the keyboards ("Delusion & Confusion" and "My Little Girl") for his freewheeling, primitive workouts.

Exhibiting some of his strongest songwriting to date, Fun is a rewarding record that never loses its initial, visceral appeal.