Regular observers of these missives will be all too aware of our affection for anything falling out of the Sonic Cathedral sound bunker. Not content at frying your ear space with some of the finest releases this year – the Vacant Lots, Gulp, Lorelle meets the obsolete and of course that recent Cheval Sombre remix 10 inch – to name just a few, the label are readying themselves up to releasing the second volume of their critically acclaimed ‘psych for sore eyes’ series. Already previewed at the recent psychedelia festival in Liverpool this ultra limited release comes pressed up in a double 7 inch pack featuring artwork by the Heretic while within gathering together six of the finest exponents of mind expanding melodica around in sound space right now. The previously unknown to us Morgan Delt open proceedings serving up the dream dipped ‘elastic – ID’ – an ethereal cosmic carousel of chiming corteges and jubilantly serenading hushed murmurs, the result is a bliss kissed happening wherein realities dissipate and dissolve into sprays of trip wiring gaseous garlands. Drag City starlets White Fence trip in with the hazily glazed ‘before he met her (decomposing lime)’ – a woozy paisley pop happening that catches itself upon the lysergic breeze of a youthful Of Montreal and comes peppered in the subtle washes of demurred dialects drawn from an early 70’s glam scene albeit ostensibly tie dyed in a warming west coast colouring. As kooky as it may first seem Damaged Bug’s (an Thee Oh Sees solo offshoot) ‘pet programs and games’ what first appears schizoid electro microwaved Devo mirages soon terraform and warp to begin transmitting on Syd ‘madcap laughs’ wavelengths. Psychic Ills have been known in times long passed to swoon our listening space in all manner of woozy lock grooved mind melts, ‘come around’ proves no exception to the rule though these days they appear to have emerged from their trademark drone dipped mind wires to opt for some coolly strut grooved shades adorned psych pop shimmying. Hills provide the sets best moment with ‘montelius vag’ for what is a deeply entrancing head trip rooted in a 70’s vintage and sounding like some acid fried flashback happening cooked up by a gathering of Mountain and Dungen types. Newbies Prayer Meeting round out matters with ‘black echo (white mountain)’ and with it allure all in the spectral shoe gaze shimmer of lazy eyed lunar lilts and coalescing chiming chord cosmicalia which unless our ears do deceive should be high on the watch list of those much admiring of Kitchens of Distinction.
the sunday experience 