It’s been a little time since we delved into the doings of Stu Pope’s Hypnotic Bridge and happily we can report the label continues to let loose a flow of cool psych-drenched seven-inchers.
Among recent releases let’s first praise Echo Park’s The Premonitions; their ‘Some Strange Lust’, seemingly about tripping, begins as a bit of mind-melt before resolving itself into an engaging garage-psych exploration with, at times, a definite sniff of The Doors. They surely like to keep the listener on their toes with ever-evolving sonic twist and turns, and it’s even more the case when you flip over for ‘Once In A Blue Moon’; an account, or maybe reliving, of a dream in serial movements, orchestrated and featuring Marxophone, harpsichord, ring modulator, autoharp, and the voice of Veronica Bianqui. Both tracks break the five-minute mark and certainly bode well for what still appears to be quite a new band.
In contrast The Resonars, out of Tucson, do have a lot longer history, starting in the nineties, previously recording for Get Hip and Burger Records among others. Helmed by, and sometimes being solely, Matt Rendon, once described as a ‘one man British Invasion revival unit’, here they carry a similar spirit and vibe to The Long Ryders. Both ‘Gold To Blue’ and, even more so, ‘Little Grey Men’ have exuberant vitality, and the two originals are complemented by a stonking version of Richard Farina’s ‘Bold Marauder’.
Mark & The Clouds are, of course, well-known round these parts; their guitarist, and prolific song-writer, Marco Magnani has long graced London’s psychedelic scene. First met leading Instant Flight, who doubled as Arthur Brown’s Crazy World, and now fronting this experienced trio, also featuring multi-instrumentalist John O’Sullivan, and drummer Shin Okajima. Their third album, released last year on Gare Du Nord, proved confident, assured, and diverse; ‘You And Me In Space’ – an archetypal, harmony-rich, Magnani rocker – comes from that. It’s paired here with the previously-unreleased wah-wah rich and suitably dramatic ‘Clocks’.
Visit Hypnotic Bridge’s website for more details and to order
Bucketfull Of Brains 