Monday 3 April 2017

Medusa's Disco - Ripe, album review



Far-out Freshness

Would it be tautologous to say Medusa’s Disco is like Kula Shaker on speed and acid? I suspect not as there is much more than the manic energy in this band’s psychedelic revisitings, and it is probably in the partial echo of Crispian Mills on the fine opening track State of Mind that KS is invoked.

By second Twisted Dentist (Novocaine) that whimsy of a comparing surmise is blown away by the wild wah-wah and other vitalities in this noisy song, the vocals here much more aggressive in tone and actual screaming. And wow, what wildness, as the band themselves put it in their description playgound of sound.

Divine slows it down somewhat and reflects a little bit of Muse, but still in the right rock ballpark, not operatic but fine vocal harmonising, sitar competing in the increasing sound as it closes. Give Up is the fifth track and this is as clever as it is adventurous, playing again with some sweet and tight vocal harmonising counterpointed by dissonant guitar and some fine grunge other, before moving into a Sabbath-esque riff: I do like this eclecticism and honouring minor-plagiarism from its birthsounds. Cream too? I think so. This is a great track.

Well, it continues. Atomic 7 has wonderful instrumental playing, tight and heavy and psychedelic, and the vocal harmonies just get better and better, here the drums rolling off these with gusto. I’m not sure they can be better, being perfect before, but I am enthusing. Ode to Seeds straps on its garage and rides without a saddle. Whatshisface from Whatevertown is Wouldyouwantsomethingdifferentbecauseyouarenotgoingtogetit. Damn right.

Beautiful Creatures closes the album out at ten minutes of incendiary Sabbath-esque Worship of Wah Wah wonderment. And other clever instrumental tweaks, a song sung too within this framing Heavy rock. There are increasing nuances of psychedelia, and I think these guys are clearly having so much fun within their considerable expertise. Perhaps the freshest retrorock I have heard for a very long time. Not tautology then, but paradox.

Get it here.

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