Detroit’s space rocking three piece Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor’s 2011 release Spectra Spirit continues the psychedelic journey begun on their eponymous debut album with droning reverberated guitars, groovy fuzz bass and raspy vocals over taut percussion á la The Black Angels with a Spacemen 3 hangover.
Despite clocking in at 40 minutes, Spectra Spirit contains a variety of moods and sounds. From the Eastern-tinged opener “Untitled” followed by the slithering, doomy “Black Mind” to the meditative “The Hole in Your Brain” and the salacious three-chord garage stomp of “Live in My Mind,” Spectra Spirit showcases a talented young band with fresh skills, ideas and the ability to execute them exceedingly well.
All songs, including the longer, heavier tracks, are inescapably catchy even through the gritty surface and howl along with hooks that force the listener to nod and shake as if under the command of an interstellar shaman, which comes as no surprise because the guitar-turned-sitar “Did You Hear the Lion Roar, Mr. Wig?” could serve as a soundtrack for a tribal ritual in space.
This set of introspective, sometimes sinister tunes recalls the late 60s—imagine a combination of the druggy, nihilistic white noise of early Velvet Underground, tripped out Barrett-era Pink Floyd’s sonic explorations, and creeping Silver Apples synth textures tied together by glam rock swagger and a Morrison-esque croon—but encapsulated and shot into deep space before imploding and feeding back into oblivion.
While SOYSV’s brand of psychedelic rock is spacey, the compositions are grounded and build (as well as destruct) organically without falling into tired cosmic noodling. Spectra Spirit is a step above their already fantastic debut. In spite of its darker temperament, the album’s infectious melodies, not to mention more focused ferocity, present the next logical step in the band’s thrilling evolution.
Purchase Spectra Spirit and their self-titled album on vinyl or download in high quality MP3 for free at their website.
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