It’s dangerous to mime psychedelic music from the 1960s without becoming mundane — the icons of the era (Jefferson Airplane, The Doors) are so ingrained that bands seeking to recreate them do so at their own peril. So you have to hand it to psych-rock treasures The Black Angels for not only trying but succeeding in bringing the ’60s back to the teens with flourish and style.
Phosphene Dream, the third album by the Austin-based outfit, is a moving mix of reverb, organ hooks and droning guitars which never hides its love for acid trips and beat poetry.
But where the band’s previous releases kept the same formula throughout, Phosphene reveals a profound brightness without losing its signature sound. It’s mature and breathtaking.
Where Brian Wilson’s Good Vibrations noted “She’s somehow close now/Softly smile I know she must be kind,” Alex Mass counters on Phosphene’s opening Bad Vibrations with “Bad vibes around her/she’s eating hearts again.” Yikes. Yet a few songs later Mass sings in the upbeat, British Invasion inspired Sunday Afternoon “It’s OK over here/Up in my tree, where you can see crystal visions, on a Sunday.” River of Blood evokes the brooding of Black Sabbath, while I swear it’s Grace Slick singing on True Believers.
I feel your glare — what’s with all the homages? Sure, the past is present here, but what makes Phosphene work is the band never lets the songs become endless jams — they have direct purpose. Look to Yellow Elevator #2 as proof — a singing interlude midway through turns an organ-laden song into dreamy coda the Beatles would be proud of.
The Black Angels have channeled the past and created an album that could sit comfortably in the decade it emulates. But to produce such a work 40 years later takes gumption and risk, and the result is quite the reward. Don’t ever let them say they don’t make them like they used to — Phosphene Dream is an exception. Of course nowadays nobody makes them like this.
