Saturday, April 22, 2017

the Black Angels : "Death Song"



I first came across this band when their music appeared on the second season of True Detective. The opening track off their new album "Death Song" holds all the qualities that originally attracted me to their sound. It's dark and sonic with a exotic pulse. There is rawer rambling rock kick with a touch of western to "I'd Kill For Her ". The vocals are sung in tentative  tenor that reminds me of many of the psychedelic garage rock bands from the 60s. There is a more relaxed feel to the almost ballad "Half Believing" .  The drumming on "Comanche Moon" reminds me a little of Hendrix's "Manic Depression". The vocals are more languid as an almost Stone Roses like haze is cast over the collection of swirling sonics.

The comparison's the Stone Roses era of Brit Pop could still be drawn in regards to the groove propelling "Hunt Me Down". They admit to being dope fiends on "Grab as Much". This song does have a drugged sluggishness to it despite being somewhat upbeat. They come back stronger with the more honest and intimate drone of " Estimate". There is a more snake like motion to the more upbeat "I Dreamt". It comes closer to rocking out than some of the albums more drugged out earlier moments. The pace gets marginally brisker with another ode to drugs on "Medicine". The keyboards bring another shade from the 60's into what they are doing.

The vocals drop into a lower effected murmur on "Death March" . I like it a lot as is it's much darker almost to the point of sounding like some of Psychic TV's more death rock like moments. There is the lazy space dirge "Life Song" that ends the album by floating away with it. This album recreates a mood I haven't heard since I used to get stoned to the Stone Roses senior year of high-school,so I'll round it up to a 9.



9.

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