Postures: S/T

Self-released CD

 Postures is a new Swedish, female-fronted progressive psych rock band who released their debut album earlier this year. The album will also be released on vinyl and CD later by World in Sound, the version that I’m reviewing is a self-release by the band. Postures have a rather dynamic, energetic and fresh sound that is hard to define. Although they have certainly been influenced by 70s prog rock groups like King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Rush etc., they also have some more modern indie rock touch in their rather complicated but rocking music. The singer Paulina Nyström also adds in some jazzy moods with her soulful voice, that somehow reminds me of Finnish singer Noora Tommila. Sometimes the music resembles of Porcupine Tree, and there are also some psychedelic effects in there to make things more interesting. The playing and production is top-notch. During the long instrumental tracks “Solipse” and “Quakes” the band also tries out some more experimental ground. One of the most atmospheric and beautiful songs is the fifth track “Falling into Place”. You should definitely check this band out if you want to hear some interesting, well-produced and fresh progressive music with great female vocals.

 

www.posturesmusic.com/

 

Jack Ellister: Dawn Dream Club

Fruits de Mer (Crustacean 40)

I was first introduced to Jack Ellister from the Netherlands though his previous progressive psych rock band Yordan Orchestra and last year he released his first solo single on Regal Crabomophone / Fruits de Mer. For this second single he has chosen three great psych pop songs from the 60s / early 70s. First, we get to hear his version of the mystical The Beatles song “Within You, Without You”. This is a bit faster and not as Eastern-tingled as the original, but a very nice version that sounds different but still has a similar laid-back, sleepy vibe. Well done Jack! There’s also a short, more psychedelic reprise of the same song. Then we get something more folky, when Jack does his version of the beautiful Mark Fry piece “Song for Wild”. This is very peaceful and tranquil, mostly acoustic stuff. He ends the 7” with a bit more rocking touch: a rendition of Syd Barrett’s “Flaming” sounds just superbly whimsical and mind-blowing at the same time as it should! A very nice Pink Floyd cover. Just get this 7”.

 

jackaleister.webstarts.com/index.html

 

 

 

 

Crystal Jacqueline: A Fairy Tale

Fruits de Mer (Crustacean 39)

This three-track 7” EP is the first Crystal Jacqueline release on Fruits de Mer and this lovely-voiced lady is skillfully assisted by another The Honey Pot band member Icarus Peel. First we’ve got the rather peaceful and small-scale cover of The Troggs song “Cousin Jane”. There’s some nice orchestration on this one. Things get much more interesting with the energetic, driving rendition of “A Fairy Tale” by Second Hand originally released in 1968. This is just marvelous 60’s freakbeat stuff! A nice guitar solo as well. Excellent! The third song is the dark, hunting The Rolling Stones B-side “Play with Fire” that I also enjoy very much. This is a very deep and emotional version that should please all psych and Stones fans. This 7” definitely makes me want to more stuff by Crystal Jacqueline. Check it out!
 

www.facebook.com/pages/Crystal-Jacqueline/163676537009074

Me and My Kites with Tony Durant of Fuchsia: S/T

Regal Crabomophone (Winkle 12)

 

Me and My Kites from Sweden released their amazing debut album Like a Dream Back Then this spring on Dungen’s bass player’s Mattias Gustavsson’s ÅÄÖ label. It was instantly clear, that this hippie collective led by David Svedmyr was something special. Other members include Gustavsson, AnnaMy, Lisa Isakson (Lisa O Piu) and lots of other folks from the Swedish psych/folk circles, so you know you’re in for a treat. I was very happy to hear that Me and My Kites would also be released on Fruits de Mer / Regal Crabomophone, so here we go… The band was named after a song released on a rare 1971 album by British progressive folk rock band Fuchsia, so they must have been ecstatic about the possibility to not only release a Fuchsia song but also have the founder member Tony Durant to sing on it! In addition, the results are magnificent. “The Band” is a very nice, melodic and melancholic pop psych song with an excellent chorus. The B side “Isis’ Adventure” was already released on the Like a Dream Back Then album, but there it was split in two parts (the eighth track “Isis” and the final track “Isis in Heaven”), so it’s very nice to have the complete song in its full psychedelic glory. It has a very authentic early 70’s, sunny hippie feel to it, and some mind-bending effects and manipulation later on. Great! You can still get a copy of this very nice single and if you are a true collector you might want to track down a black copy limited to just 100 copies. Some copies also come with a small kite!

www.facebook.com/pages/Me-and-My-Kites

Øresund Space Collective / Papir: Split 7”

Transubstans Records (TRANSV707)

Well this is a cool little seven-incher… Two Copenhagen-based improvisational psych rock bands ØSC and Papir released a split single on Swedish Transubstans Records in May. Okay, ØSC also has members from Sweden, to be precise. This is a limited edition of only 300 copies, 100 on black and 200 on blue vinyl. Both of these amazing bands offer previously unreleased candy on this single. Øresund Space Collective surprises us with a three-minute piece “Space Hoedown” since this is real country music although spiced with psychedelic space synth swooshes! This is very funny but also mind-expanding going… Papir, on the other hand, pretty much do what they usually do on the over five-minute-long, rather light track “Rotwein” that for some reason is mastered a bit lower than the flip-side. This is perhaps not Papir at their very best, but works very well anyway. You should get this single soon if you can still find a copy!

www.oresundspacecollective.com

White Sails: S/T

Regal Grabomophone (Winkle 11)

Okay, this time Fruits de Mer / Regal Grabomophone is giving us some Black Sabbath covers… Interesting! Before you are totally drooling for some ultra-heavy riffs and doomy vocals, let me point out that the Sabbath songs covered on this 7” by multinational new project called White Sails are acoustic, peaceful and instrumental. “Laguna Sunrise” from Vol. 4 surely isn’t one of Black Sabbath’s most well-known tracks, but I have always enjoyed it. Here Finnish brothers Ville and Jaakko Vilpponen and Leigh Gregory from San Francisco make a slightly extended, pretty and nice version that even has some drums, bass and slide guitar but not the strings of the original. Acoustic guitars are of course the main emphasis. It’s very nice, although nothing that psychedelic over here. Especially on “Fluff” (that originates form Sabbath Bloody Sabbath) the acoustic guitar work is excellent, and there’s also some keyboards and distant electric guitar, and the track grows in a nice way towards the end. I like this even more.
 

On the B side we’ve got two original tracks that are pretty much in the same vein, so mainly acoustic and laid-back. First there is “The Answer” written by Ville, and I like the melodies and slight Pink Floyd vibe on this one. Leigh’s “Death on a Pale Horse” is more folky and traditional in nature, but more orchestrated and very enjoyable as well. This might be one of the less psychedelic releases on Fruits de Mer / Regal Grabomophone, but it’s still nice stuff so get it while you can.

www.facebook.com/whitesailsband

Stay: Mersey Beat

Regal Crabomophone (Winkle 10)

 
The Spanish psychedelic rock group Stay recently played at the Fruits de Mer All-Dayer at London’s Borderline and their brand-new 7” includes one original and three cover songs from the 60s. I’m happy to say that their own, groovy song “Mersey Dream” that starts off the EP is just as good as the old covers. Just think for example of Deep Purple’s “Hush” and you are pretty close to the excellent combination of organ, wah guitar, powerful bass, irresistible beat and superb vocals that “Mersey Dream” offers us. ”Guess I Was Dreaming” by The Fairytales is a perfect example of how amazing, melodic psych pop/rock songs they could write in the 60’s and Stay makes the song as their own with a very lysergic attitude. Then we get to hear some more familiar stuff, a version of ”I See the Rain” by The Beatles and also that one has a nice, psychedelic charge. Marmelade’s ”I See the Rain” is again a rarer treat and this version ends the EP in a nice way sounding a bit like The Bevis Frond, for example. This is a great single and it’s just been released so you can still get a copy if you hurry up!

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/