Texas, USA is a damn big place and has a reputation for turning out bands and artists with a damn big sound, Desert Psychlist is thinking ZZ Top and Stevie Ray Vaughan here but that sonic largeness can also be heard coming from the many underground bands currently making their presence felt outside of their Lone Star State home. Gypsy Sun Revival are no exception, these Texans have a sound that leans more towards the more polished psychedelic end of classic rock than it does the riff orientated stoner/hard rock usually associated with the underground rock scene, the band utilising keyboards, synths and even a theremin to fill out there sound, giving their grooves a more expansive classical rock sound. The band demonstrate this sound to great effect on their new album "Journey Outside of Time" (Nasoni Records)
Whooshing noise interrupted by fractured guitar chords introduces "Cadillac to Mexico" a song that mixes bluesy swagger with hues of a psychedelic nature, fronted by the clean yet grainy tones of vocalist, and occasional hand drummer, Mario Rodriguez. Rodriguez' strong, but not overly powerful, tones are the perfect fit for Gypsy Sun Revival's brand of acid laced rock his slightly cracked delivery giving this song, and that of the other six songs on"Journey Outside of Time", an authentic gritty edge. Rodriguez is ably supported by Will Weise whose bluesy guitar licks and solo's are an integral part of GSR's overall sound especially when they are combined with Tyler Gene Davis' swirling swathes of keyboard colouring, as on the excellent "Growing Shadows" a lysergic bluesy ballad that explodes into a heavy psych wig out in its final quarter. A band like a car/automobile is only as strong as the engine that drives it and in Lee Ryan (bass) and Ben Harwood (drums and synth) Gypsy Sun Revival have a V8 beneath their hood, Ryan's liquid bass lines and grizzled low end riffs are big boneshaking affairs that with Harwood's deft mix of delicate and pounding percussion create the perfect platforms for Weise and Davis to launch their swirling sonic assaults from and for Rodriguez to wrap his distinctive vocals around. The album also benefits from a crisp organic production something not overly suprising as the band drafted in ex Monster Magnet guitarist John McBain for mastering duties and Wo Fat's Kent Stump to oversee engineering and mixing.
Not exceptionally heavy but with a nice balance of swaggering Texas blues and acid drenched psych "Journey Outside Of Time" is an album that should appeal to both the classic rock aficionados and those that like their grooves heady and trippy alike.
Check it out .....
© 2017 Frazer Jones
No comments:
Post a Comment