ROXANNE GALLO FOR TVD | “After roaming through the Indigo Meadow, the time has come to journey to the “Clear Lake Forest,” where 7 tales of diamonds, executioners, and other strange occurrences await underneath the crystal waves lapping in the lake,” says Black Angels guitarist Christian Bland of their Record Store Day release, “Clear Lake Forest”, a limited edition, clear vinyl 10” companion EP to 2013’s full length, Indigo Meadow.
With a description like that, I can’t help but feel this music is created with the purpose of taking you out of your reality and experience something you can’t otherwise in the monotony of daily life, much like the drugs psychedelic rock is named for.
Hailing from the musical melting pot of Austin, TX with a decade on the scene under their belt, the Black Angels have established themselves as psych-rock heavy hitters. They have proven successful at melding genre-past with genre-present by recently touring with the legendary Roky Ericson, as well as helping to develop Austin’s Psych Fest, now in its 7th year. Named for the Velvet Underground’s ‘The Black Angels Death Song,” the band consists of Christian Bland (guitar, organ, drone machine), Alex Maas (vocals, bass, organ, drone machine), Stephanie Bailey (drums, percussion), and Kyle Hunt (keyboards, percussion, bass, guitar).
Following a collaboration with Unkle on the track “With You in my Head” featured on the soundtrack to tween box office hit Twilight: Eclipse they gained traction, and soon thereafter released their third full length breakthrough album Phosphene Dream, landing them on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums, peaking at #10.
Much like “Phosgene Nightmare,” the companion EP to Phosphene Dream, “Clear Lake Forest” was released a year after Indigo Meadow. It also landed a spot on the Billboard charts, reaching #15 on Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums. Indigo Meadow was lent some powerful direction with the addition of producer John Congleton (David Byrne & St. Vincent, Explosions in the Sky, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah).
In the above video for the fourth song on the EP, “The Flop”, the organ takes center stage. It immediately struck me as a song that could be used for a 60’s-era action TV show themed fun house with go-go dancers absolutely losing their shit during the build up to the chorus.
A slight departure from Indigo Meadow, “Clear Lake Forest” leaves more room for interpretation, maintaining their signature psychedelics, while adding a bit of blues and a surf sound. With some upbeat, catchy, get out of your seat and dance songs such as “Tired Eyes” and “Sunday Evening” there are also the darker songs, “An Occurrence at 4507 South 3rd Street” about a man sentenced to hang. Along with its tie-in to that theme of hanging, “The Executioner” begins calm but crescendos to a panicked cacophony about halfway through, appropriately maintaining the tempo of a slow heartbeat mostly throughout.
Although this EP is a great compliment to Indigo Meadow, it packs enough of a punch to fare well as a stand-alone release .
Recently re-released on 12”vinyl, an autographed copy is available for one of you with a North American shipping address. To enter, leave a comment with the strangest occurrence you’ve experienced while in a body of water. (Drugs optional.) We’ll choose one winner a week from today, August 29.
