The Black Drum Set ; " Frineds in Dark Places"

There is something hypnotic about this project that matters, early 90s dream pop with a more narcotic electronic pulse. It's like Stone Roses remixes without the guitar solos. The title track that opens the album drew me in; now the challenge is, can they keep my interest? Where the second song floats in a bong-laden haze with nothing grounding it by the surreal atmosphere it flows through, "The Ice Melted, We Had to Swim" has more of a backbone with its solid pulse. The formual for their songwriting seems to be to get high and jam.

 There are some exotic Indian influence chord progressions to "From a Different Place" to continue to mesmerize as this album keeps dripping past you in it's lsd drenched ooze.It can't be argued that they do not have a cool sound, but I am going to need them to hook me in. Instead, they fall into the ambiance as the more krautrock bubbling of "Moment Moment Moment Moment" unwinds into another slow burn. This vocal style works for a few songs, but midway into the album, you need to hear more. The are jsut another layer in this drone. Speaking of drones, I hope yo uare not sobering up soon as things jam on with "Open Flame," which sounds cool, but it wanders around. 

The atmosphere does not diminish for the last song if yo uare waiting for them to rock out, it is not happening. They instead float around in the smoky haze of the ethereal guitars. While this album was in many ways a pleasant surprise it's good for the rainy morning when yo uare not waking or the afternoons that you get really stoned, for that I am going to give it an 8.5, as this is the album they wanted to make, it's just something you have to be into the proper headspace for. 

6.6

pst311