27 Nov 2015

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Pish / Mini Album Thingy Wingy


Reviewed by Elizabeth Klisiewicz

It’s business as usual for psych veterans BJM on this new seven song EP which is chock full of droney goodness and sublime trippy pastiches.

Opening tune “Pish” is a collaboration with Tess Parks, and is almost orchestral, containing all the requisite majesty one could expect. Perhaps it is chamber psych, a new genre? Employed throughout the record are fuzzed out guitars, programmed strings and horns, flute, and a Slovakian pastoral bent (“Prsi Prsi”, sung and co-written by Vladimir Nosal) which suits the band well. There's a 13th Floor Elevators cover, “Dust”, which retains the 60s flavor of the original and also includes a guest spot from Alex Maas, frontman with Austin psych outfit The Black Angels, who contributes jug playing in tribute to the Elevators’ electric jug player, Tommy Hall. “Leave It Alone” is classic BJM toking with some shoegazey Verve smoke tossed into the blend. “Mandrake Handshake” is another prime slice of acoustic psych beauty, and one has to wonder if writing these songs is as natural as breathing to Anton Newcombe. “Here Comes the Waiting For The Sun” comes off as a great lost Velvets classic, complete with cool phased vocals.

Another worthwhile outing for this longtime California-by-way-of-Berlin psychedelic collective then.

Available here (US), and here (UK).

 

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