Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Psychedelic/Space Rock | Heft: Jahrgang 2014, eclipsed Nr. 157 / 2-2014 | VÖ-Jahr: 2014 | Wertung: 6/10 | Label: Alive | Autor: BSV
In the summer of 1997 some musicians of the bands Further and Strictly Ballroom formed a new group: Beachwood Sparks. Since then, the Californians have released three albums under this new name. But the first attempts at walking - namely the first shots from just that summer of 1997 - never saw the light of day. But "Desert Skies" now gathers twelve songs, which were recorded full of euphoria at that time. You can tell the mood of departure and the good mood. They are all lively pop songs, driven by fast grooves, simple melodies and all kinds of rhythm guitars. But you also notice a certain restriction in these songs. The psychedelic gimmicks presented on later albums only with the handbrake on rarely appear here. The sound spectrum is reduced: Vocals and guitar shape the sound. Every now and then an organ sounds, but then really gripping. The songwriting can be convincing, but it can't really make you sit up and take notice. That's what Beachwood Sparks did better on later albums.
Top track: Watery Moonlight
