Mega Dodo 2016
Inside The Whale
Shake, not stir: Devon coven put a spin on a Job story and twist the night away.
When it comes to engaging their third eye, modern crop of acid folk artists are afraid to rock and crack their glossy bliss. Not this English bunch who follow their 2013 debut “To The Edge Of The World” with what is rapidly turned away from arcadian pastures to something more stormy and, thus, adventurous. Following the “feed your head” lead of ’60s Californian coterie, the Brits don’t get behind needless innuendos, so “Psychedelic Circles” – a centerpiece here, hung on vibrato – and opener “The Outskirts Of Your Mind” wrap faux-lysergic experiences in mellifluous vocal harmonies and echoes, as well as raga-spiked guitar jangle.
Lisa Dreams
Yet while the fragility of “Walking On Eggshells” is rippled with electronic oscillations under acoustic strum, “Pink And Orange” has a hard edge to its riff-kissed sway. And if symbolism reigns supreme on this record, there’s a deep parable in its epic title track, whose bubbling organ provides a bedrock for Crystal Jacqueline’s unhurried yarn, before the space is spurned by Icarus Peel’s six-string and things seem to almost come unhinged. As a contrast, “Almost Exactly Beautiful” offers a warm, although also slightly disturbing, polyphonic hug, whereas “Butterfly Ride” unfolds it into a piano grace.
Same levity is manifested on a single “Lisa Dreams” which accompanies the album, with a very prominent pop element, but B-side “Three Sister” gets resolved with a wicked, wild solo, as does “Into The Deep” adding an extra dimension to “The Whale” to fathom it further. An arresting trip.
****1/4
