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Rating: Lost Psychedelic Nuggets – vol.I
“The first in a (hopefully) long series of reviews concerning small psychedelic works by lesser-known bands or minor albums by major bands, from the '60s to the end of the millennium.”
Exponents of the small psychedelic revival movement called (with the usual monstrous critical fantasy) “Psychedelphia”, active in Philadelphia in the late '90s, thanks to Lilys, Bardo Pond in part, Azusa Plane, and Mazarin among others, Asteroid #4 gave birth to this small psychedelic gem in '98, amidst the general indifference of critics. It was the year of "Moon Safari", "Mezzanine", and Acme, just to name three at random; thus, logically and nearly understandably, their debut work by these four guys, devout worshippers of both 60’s psychedelia and the synthetic acid visions of the '80s (between Spacemen 3 and the sunshine pop of the La's), was overlooked. A neglect that can and should be remedied, thanks also to the 2008 vinyl reissue (the chosen medium for such music).
An almost pretentious work in its desire to cover a decidedly wide psychedelic spectrum, ranging from popsyke melodies of Beatles/Kinks origins, passing through the acid visions of early Julian Cope, to Riley-esque neuron mantras. Emblematic in this sense are the first two tracks: “Onizuka” immediately dulls the senses, dragging us into a hypnotic (but brief) space journey thanks to echoes of drone music; “The Admirals Address” with a low beat (one might say trip hop, if it weren't all played) with a psalmodizing and mantric final guitar performance.
The more pop side of their idea of psychedelia seems like a codeine crossover between the Indian Beatles, the early Galaxie 500, and the Dukes Of Stratosphear (“Golden Girl Of Spain”, “What A Sorry Way To Go”, “Honey Bee”), but the best moments are when the imagination is left free to wander. Like the mesmeric finale stretched endlessly of “Egyptians & Druids”, or the Spacemen 3 opening of “Visitation Rights”, or finally in the diptych “No More Vitamins/ Underbelly Of A Mushroom”, where the asteroids hit hard on the synapses (yours and theirs) alternating samples of firsthand narrated psychedelic experiences with the musical rendering of the same, with the sinusoidal/experiential flow of a “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun”.
Not a fundamental album, but a different point of view to understand the kaleidoscopic prism of contemporary psychedelia.
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