Weekly Release Spotlight: The Black Angels
Posted on 9/12/2010
The Black Angels
Phosphene Dream
[Blue Horizon]
[Blue Horizon]
I’m not sure the modern incarnation of psychedelia gets any better than The Black Angels. Hailing from Austin, Texas, known for decades as a central point of US psyche rock, the quintet is an elusive bunch known for their trippy album covers, brooding melodies, and minimal audience interaction. But what was a truly a depressingly (good) listening experience on Directions To See A Ghost, Phosphene Dream is a rare beast from this band: loaded with 60s reverby riffs much in the vein of a Nuggets compilation, everything is lighter on this effort- a truly commendable thing to accomplish given the constraints of the genre they perform so well.
From the opening drum pounds of “Yellow Elevator #2” and its accompanying guitar grinds, there is an instant change of attitude apparent. Whereas Ghost standouts included lyrics pertaining to adultery, thieves, hardcore drugs, and domestic quandaries, this track is more vague than what the band already is, singing about deceptive images and perceptions. Of course, that’s only the gist of what a human ear can discern. There’s a lot more substance inevitably ingrained in the tune, but it depends if you can understand what Alex Maas is saying, so for now the most impressive thing about Phosphene Dream comes in how solid the instrumentation and hooks are, and how on-key and powerful the lyricism provides as a complement. The fact that one of their shortest songs in their entire discography, “Telephone,” can clock in just under two minutes and still provide a succinct punch is testament to a band that can redesign their sound and ambitions in drastic ways.
2010 has seen a lot of albums come out, many of which inevitably will get lost in the mix when end of year best-of lists start being announced. For a year which has been filled with incredible rock albums, it takes one step more of intuition to push past the pack, and The Black Angels have taken a leap over the Velvet Underground references which seemed to plague them in their formative years. They have instead created their own distinct sound which can be copied but usually not to the same heart-pounding, euphoric effect.
From the opening drum pounds of “Yellow Elevator #2” and its accompanying guitar grinds, there is an instant change of attitude apparent. Whereas Ghost standouts included lyrics pertaining to adultery, thieves, hardcore drugs, and domestic quandaries, this track is more vague than what the band already is, singing about deceptive images and perceptions. Of course, that’s only the gist of what a human ear can discern. There’s a lot more substance inevitably ingrained in the tune, but it depends if you can understand what Alex Maas is saying, so for now the most impressive thing about Phosphene Dream comes in how solid the instrumentation and hooks are, and how on-key and powerful the lyricism provides as a complement. The fact that one of their shortest songs in their entire discography, “Telephone,” can clock in just under two minutes and still provide a succinct punch is testament to a band that can redesign their sound and ambitions in drastic ways.
2010 has seen a lot of albums come out, many of which inevitably will get lost in the mix when end of year best-of lists start being announced. For a year which has been filled with incredible rock albums, it takes one step more of intuition to push past the pack, and The Black Angels have taken a leap over the Velvet Underground references which seemed to plague them in their formative years. They have instead created their own distinct sound which can be copied but usually not to the same heart-pounding, euphoric effect.
Stream: The Black Angels - Telephone