Psych-rockers The Black Angels new album is a sharp, psyche-coated and mysterious wandering through the Texas band’s inspired mental state.
Sabbath inspired ‘Evil Things’ is a dark, fuzz intoxicated slab of rock with hammering rhythms and sorrowful singing.
As intense as you can get whilst taking mind-altering drugs ‘Don’t Play With Guns’ is a reverb-laden track that pierces you mind through your ears. The words have a sinister tip that have more meaning with the recent trouble The Black Angels home country have had with guns.
The graceful sound of ‘Holland’ is a welcome break from their sound yet at the same time as in keeping with psychedelic approach. 60s vocals with tinny squawks and solid drumming.
As the clear winner of the album ‘Love Me Forever’ is the perfect marriage of each member working in harmony. The droning guitars join the monotone of singer Alex Maas sets the scene before the hard-edged chorus takes over. A balance of rock and tormented kaleidoscope cadence. It’s just too short for its own good!
The bipolar ‘War On Holiday’ head butts you from the outset before you know what’s going on. It soars from heavy rock to 60s sci-fi tones. Dr Who in a mosh pit.
‘I Hear Colours (Chromesthesia)’ is just as good as ‘Love Me Forever’ with its pompous stance with Maas’ warbling and rampant pace. The Black Angels are channelling The Kinks but providing more oomph for good measure.
The penultimate ‘You’re Mine’ is a cleaner track with a commercial vibe but with a darker sharpness. “That every night you dream of me and how I make you scream” might not be that offensive but compared to the rest of the lyrics its certainly provocative. Following hot on its heels is the closer ‘Black Isn’t Black’ – a plodder of backwards guitar echoes; stripped bare that put the vocals and words to the front. After two minutes the song takes a turn allowing the drums to add depth and menace. As that last thing that sits in your mind it’s excellent ending.
Opener ‘Indigo Meadow’ is a bit too surf and monotonous that lacks power you’d expect from the first song. ‘The Day’ is an indie jangler that sticks out like a sore thumb. For a band known for darkness this doesn’t fit. ‘Broken Soldier’ has clout yet over the song the journey feels lost – if it wasn’t for lines like “It’s hard to kill when you don’t know whose side you’re on/ Will you be the same when this is over?”
Sounding like The Doors with The Strokes ‘Always Maybe’ has a brooding atmosphere but the guitar effect destroys any chance of creating terror-laced rock.
Indigo Meadow is in stores April 1 (UK, Everywhere else) / April 2 (USA) / April 5 (Germany, Australia)
Track listing:
- Indigo Meadow
- Evil Things
- Don’t Play With Guns
- Holland
- The Day
- Love Me Forever
- Always Maybe
- War On Holiday
- Broken Soldiers
- I Hear Colors (Chromaethesia)
- Twisted Light
- You’re Mine
- Black Isn’t Black
