Fall Freak Out Edition: The Murlocs, Carlton Melton, Landing & Morgan Delt
By Aaron Stein Oct 5, 2016 • 1:56 pm PDT
The Murlocs: Young Blindness
Been a while since we went full psychedelic around here and there have been plenty of great albums down that rabbit hole, so let’s see if we can find something that strikes your fancy. Of course, lately, seems like Australia is a breeding ground for grade-A psych, so the great new(ish) album from The Murlocs should come as no surprise. With a jangly, fuzzed guitar and an excellent distorto-reverb take on the garage/surf sound, Young Blindness is a delight track by track.
Carlton Melton: Aground
If you like slow-burn guitar jams that hit the surface and then dive deep, look no further than the newest 12-inch from Carlton Melton. Aground was a Record Store Day release this year and is five tracks of scintillating, exploratory psychedelia. The trio hails from Northern California and their music feels like a perfect soundtrack to that natural setting: improvisations for hikes among redwoods or lazy hallucinations on the beach. This one goes a long way in 25 minutes and is well worth a listen or two.
Landing: Third Sight
From a slightly different geographic vantage comes Connecticut-based psychonauts Landing. The band has recently joined a favorite label, El Paraiso, and their first release for them, Third Sight is a perfect fit for that sound. Over four tracks they create another world: a patient, building, ambient mass of sound. This one is for deep listening with a clear mind – meditative and pensive.
Morgan Delt: Phase Zero
And lastly for this week, but finally not least, is Phase Zero, the recently released record from Los Angeles-based Morgan Delt. There is a certain magic to this album that somehow finds new and fascinating sounds in a musical arena that sometimes feels crowded and overdone. Each song is a little sonic journey that’s both catchy and exploratory. This is a meticulously crafted dreamworld of a master musician with a bright future. I’m still finding things to love in there – one of my favorites of the year. I hope you enjoy it as well.
