Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band
The Rarity of Experience

Let's talk about the latest album from what I consider one of the most interesting projects in the American psychedelic rock scene. Chris Forsyth, who was already a member of the Brooklyn trio known as PSI and later as Peeeseye, after his solo album 'Solar Motel' in 2014, formed a full-fledged band called 'Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band', with which he has already released an album, also in 2014, namely the excellent 'Intensity Ghost' (No Quarter Records), which received various positive reviews from critics and established this project as a new tangible reality in the vast territory of American-made neo-psychedelia.

Nevertheless, until now, Chris has not achieved the fame he perhaps deserved, and who knows if this new album won't help in that regard, also to refute those who consider his music as something already heard and fundamentally a simple repetition of elements from the psychedelic music of the sixties and seventies in particular. Then again, let's face it, his music is certainly influenced by musicians and bands from that period. Chris himself has always admitted to being devoted to bands like Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger, and his music also contains evident nods to giants like Neil Young & Crazy Horse and the usual Lou Reed. But all this is probably already known to those who have listened to his previous works, as it is known to those who have already listened to 'Intensity Ghost', this guitarist's devotion to Tom Verlaine of Television, which then is something that makes the sound of this 'combo' if not innovative, at least worthy of being considered as its own and not a mere imitation of something already done before and therefore as something that brings new content and possibly also new sensations.

The second album by Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band is entitled 'The Rarity of Experience', released by No Quarter Records in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (the label founded by Mike Queen in 2001 and known for releasing works by bands like Earth and Endless Boogie), and in a certain sense continues the path started in the previous album, possibly with some innovations with elements derived from kraut-rock (Chris is particularly devoted to Popol Vuh) and art-rock inspired by Red Krayola.

Naturally, even in this case, the central element is represented by the guitar work of Chris Forsyth. His electric guitar dominates from the very first tracks of the album ('Anthem I' and 'Anthem II', 'The Rarity of Experience I' and 'The Rarity of Experience II') characterized by a typically rock and roll approach that directly refers to what Lou Reed had during a certain period of his career, especially during the early seventies, but essentially what he used during his live performances, where he was perhaps more 'real' (if you've never seen him live, feel free to listen to stuff like 'Rock N Roll Animal' or other historical testimonies) and which better reflected the wilder nature of the rocker raised in Freeport, Long Island.

On the other hand, to what we might recognize as a typical Lou Reed or rock and roll approach, are added the already mentioned references to Tom Verlaine and Television. This is the case for the guitars in 'High Castle Rock' or 'Harmonious Dance', for instance, but the whole album is pervaded by elements of this type and riffs that connect back to what, after all, was definitely an innovative guitarist in the way of playing at the end of the seventies. Apart from this, the entire album is permeated by a certain acidity in the sound and, regardless, when listening to it you're never quite sure, assuming that this makes a difference, of how much is purely a result of improvisation and how much was planned before Chris and his band entered the recording studio.

Venturing more and more into what could be described as a psychedelic journey, Chris introduces more and more new elements into his music and songs and often even experimenting with something new, which, for him, isn’t new if we consider, for example, the release last year of 'The Island' (Trouble In Mind Records) with Koen Holtkamp of Mountains, which essentially presented as a long session divided into four tracks and recorded in just two days, in which the two musicians merged together Chris's psychedelic and visionary, almost 'desert-like' approach with the ambient and electronic sets that made Koen Holtkamp and Mountains famous.

And so 'Old Phase' is what we can consider a tribute to that inexhaustible heritage that was kraut-rock, and 'The First Ten Minutes of Cocksucker Blues' is instead probably the most interesting episode of the entire album in which the band combines elements that hark back to the more experimental Neil Young to Miles Davis and more recent experimental bands like The Ex or June of 44.

Essentially, we are faced with an instrumental psychedelic music album and, for this reason, it can be appreciated not only by those who are fundamentally devoted to psychedelic rock music or neo-psychedelia but also by those who are listeners of more 'traditional' rock and roll, especially from the seventies. 'The Rarity of Experience' is a good album, and the lengthy duration of some tracks does not discourage listeners. The best moment (in my opinion) is probably a cover, that of 'The Calvary Cross', a song originally written by Richard Thompson, and the only one in the entire album (along with 'The Rarity of Experience I') in which we can hear Chris Forsyth's voice. Not that it was necessarily needed. I mean, after all, Chris wouldn't need to sing or let us hear his voice, given that he is accustomed to speaking through what are the electric notes of his guitar. Listening to him, you can very well consider this enough to appreciate the quality of the music and sound compositions.