There is so much psych music being produced at the moment it’s almost like the late 1960s all over again! You can’t go to a gig without out overhearing how “sitars are really hard to lug about” and “I thought it was easier to learn to play guitar backwards to speed up overdubbing in the studio”. Sadly, however, like the late 1960’s not all psych is good. For every Morgan Delt there are a host of uninspiring psych-lite bands.
Elephant Stone are a Canadian indie psych band, they were formed by Risihi Dhir after he left the High Dials because he wanted to explore Indian music. In 2009 they released their debut album the Seven Seas which merged his new found Indian love with the 1960’s pop of the Kinks and the Beatles. They returned in 2013 with their self-titled album. It was more of the same, but the songs were stronger due to tighter playing and more experimentation, the psych elements were more pronounced than on the Seven Seas, but not over powering.
Elephant Stone’s new album the Three Poisions opens with a rhythmic sitar riff, and then a stomping drum beat coupled with a slightly fuzzy guitar, it’s a real statement of intent. The rest of Motherless Child – Love’s Not for War follows this pattern, halfway through however the pace changes and the beat quickens. The music becomes more hypnotic with the sitar taking its place at the front of the mix, then it slows down again for the last verse to be sung.
Worlds Don’t Begin and End with You is a slow burning sentimental track, posessing a strong resemblance to Cat Stephens‘s ‘Wild World’. While this isn’t a bad thing, you do half expect “Oh baby, baby, it’s a wild world” to be sung as the chorus. Child of Nature – Om Namah Shivaya is the stand out track. It’s a romp through power chords, off kilter drums, pounding bass riffs, hypnotic keyboards and sitars, its only downside is that at two minutes thirty six it’s crying out to be extended and to have the exquisite instrumental outro extended instead of being abruptly faded out.
The Three Poison’s has one eye to the past and one to the present and whilst it might not be a classic psych album, there is enough going on to warrant the comparisons with that era, the vocals are warming and the Indian influences benefit each of the songs, rather resembling another part of a marketing ploy. Elephant Stone’s playing is tight and the production is clean, at times though, it feels that Elephant Stone have played it too safe. There are moments on certain tracks when they should have been braver and pushed things further, While this might have alienated some of their audience it would have ultimately made for a more authentic and interesting listen.
[Rating:3]
