There’s been a lot of retro rock, doom rock, occult rock of late (call it what you want) and apart from The Riddles, not many bands have picked up the psychedelic tag. This American band from California really keep the spirit of the late 60’s /early 70’s alive with such a fine album. You hear lots of references and influences from Cream to Hendrix jamming with Blue Cheer and Uriah Heep (for a more hard rock influence) and more modern bands like Astra and Bristol’s The Heads (the latter being a major comparison in my mind). You also hear where some of the stoner groove and “noodling” came from if you set your mind to full on early 70’s mode, it all fits into place.
This music is perfect for these summer days, it makes me feel 25 years younger, just being lazy in the summer sunshine, sipping a beer, smoking some cigarettes, nodding ones head in appreciation to the halcyon music that this band produce. ‘Glowing Glory’ has a guitar/Hammond style as an intro that reminds me of Uriah Heep’s ‘Gypsy’, before the vocal effects intertwine with the dreamy state of the main tune, all it needs now is a touch more fuzzed out bass, then you’d be pushed over the edge. ‘Sitting Around in a Restless Dream’ is rockier, very Cream inspired and a total trip out at the same time. The guitar tone is just great, the energy the feel you get form the track and the release in general is special. The echo/reverb effect on the vocal (at least that what it sounds like whether it’s natural or not!) adds to the mystique. That’s what I find with this album, a feeling of dreamscape and care free living (“man”!).
This is truly a trippy rock album, not metal, not space rock, and is a real re-representation of a time when music was trailblazing and unique with solo jams and band percussion improvisation being the normal state of play. It rocks hard, it trips hard, it grooves hard, I like this album, its psychedelic rock done right and draws many influences in and ties them together to form one massive mind bending release that’s a joy to listen too.
(8/10 Paul Maddison)
21/07/2015 at 3:58 pm
Love the sound of this. Sweet as.