Spectre Folk - Ancient Storm

  by Carl Bookstein

published: 13 / 9 / 2012

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Spectre Folk is an evocative name for a band that creates music that is at once transporting and dream like. Michigan bred multi instrumentalist and helmsman Pete Nolan (of Magik Markers) joins with Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, bassist Aaron Mullan (of Tall Firs) and Peter Meehan on guitar.‘The Ancient Storm’ is Spectre Folk’s first full-band LP. The album includes layered psychedelic noise guitars, sonic experiments and occasional electrified vibraphone. ‘Inchin’ Worm’ starts out with a mellow acoustic guitar strum into easy, hypnotic and magical folk tinged psych rock. “My brain’s washed out with the storm” is the lyric. With an earthy vocal, a lovely sea of sound is heard as the innovative instrumentals melt like a sunset. Rich guitars and drums are in the forefront. ‘Mantraphonics’, an instrumental, is a bit more out there in psychedelic space. Ambient music with a spotlight on the vibraphone alongside a xylophone, the song possesses a free jazz quality, inviting mind travel. ‘Please Come Home’ is rooted in 1960s influenced psychedelia. The tune cleanses the listener with waves of resonating sound- humming guitar and a haunting vocal - “The air here is warm… it never gives way…” ‘Gypsy Grammar’, also an instrumental, is something beautiful with vibrant guitar. Steve Shelley (who has kept very busy since his band’s recent break) lays down a fine entrancing drum beat. Next we hear extended fuzz rock and spacey mood music, experimental yet effective. The song ‘Knife’ is nearly 15 minutes of psych rock jamming, but still somehow beautiful with jazzy drumming and swirling guitar drone. The closer ‘Trees with 12 Bones’ begins with a mantra of spoken word lyrics and evolves into electronic noise. The track is definitely less soothing than the rest, but intriguing nevertheless. For the psych rock aficionado or the curious, ‘The Ancient Storm’ is an album that fascinates.

Track Listing:-

1 Inchin' Worm
2 Mantraphonics
3 Please Come Home
4 Gyspy Grammar
5 Knife
6 Trees with 12 Bones
7 Display Case
8 Fourth Dimension Refs (Alternate Mix)
9 I Don't Know
10 Lazy Killer Bees
11 I Don't Know (Demo)

Band Links:-

http://www.bandsintown.com/SpectreFolk

Label Links:-

http://vampireblues.net/
https://www.facebook.com/vampireblues
https://twitter.com/vampire_blues

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