Billy Tsounis - Nefelibata (2014)
Psychedelic to the point of being
semi-hallucinatory, the new album from Billy Tsounis pulsates with
energy from the first moments, billowing out in expansive waves of
guitar and bass held down by the solid drum-work. Mr. Tsounis put everything together himself, and the quality and sense
of interaction between the assembled pieces deserves some
recognition; there's some truly intricate stretches of sound to be
found here, and imagining the multi-tracking behind it all is enough
to make your head start to spin.
Some of the tracks bring in
heavily-distorted keyboards, which emphasize the dream-like quality
which characterizes much of the music. The moods of the album range
from gentle to viciously aggressive, and while there's an ethereal
feel to much of it, the harder parts land with genuine impact. That
sense of surreality is reinforced by song titles such as “Eyeballs
In The Yard” and “The Clown Salivates”, and while vocals are
absent, the space they leave is filled up nicely by the lushness of
the instruments and the strength of the song-writing. The guitar
usually has a pleasantly bright tone, and in Tsounis' hands, it comes
alive with personality, adding to the many layers of material to mull
over while listening to the album again and again. Great stuff, all
around.
~ Gabriel
For Fans Of; The Human
Instinct, Ten Years After, Lightning Bolt, Jimi Hendrix, A Place To
Bury Strangers
~
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