Dead Meadow - Warble Womb

by Anthony Strutt

published: 4 / 12 / 2013

Label: Xemu Records
Format: CD

intro

First-rate combination of psychedelia and blues on seventh album from Washington DC-based band, Dead Meadow

'Warble Womb' is Washington DC band Dead Meadow's first album in three years, and sees a return to the studio,of the original three piece line-up of the group including drummer Mark Laughlin, who co-founded the band in 1998 and has re-joined the band for the first time in eleven years. It is self-produced and self-funded by their constant touring, and stretches out over 75 minutes but not a minute of that time is wasted. 'Six to Let the Light Shine Thru' opens the new work, and is a dirty, slow blues number that cuts deep like a drug flowing through your veins, The vocals by co-founder Jason Simon combine well with the music, and collectively they sound like a slocore Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. ‘1,000 Dreams’ comes over like mid-70’s Lennon reflecting on his time with his other more famous band and when that project became more experimental in the mid-1960s. ‘Mr Chesty’ has an acoustic Jesus and Mary Chain edge before it kicks into gear, at which point it sounds like an epic Pink Floyd. ‘I'm Cured’ sways along gently and is almost mainstream for this band, but has enough backwards guitar to please any fan of ‘Revolver’. ‘Warble Womb 1’ is both mystical-sounding and magical, while ‘Yesterday's Blowing Back’ is a catchy travelling song. ‘One More Toll Taker’ sounds like something that Woody Guthrie or his student, the young Bob Dylan, might have recorded. ‘Rains in the Desert’ is full of long riffs that are worthy of the White Stripes. ‘Burn the Hear and Now’ has a surprisingly medieval sound, and is as gentle as an adult reading a night time story. ‘All Torn Up’ is as strong as the Jimi Hendrix Experience with its truly masterful playing and edgy drums and bass. ‘In the Thicket’ sounds like a mod anthem, while ‘Copper is Restless (Till It Turns to Gold)’ is dubby but its spirit is in new wave psychedelia. ‘Warble Womb 2’ is more 70’s–influenced and with its funky edge sounds like an unreleased James Bond soundtrack. ‘This Song is Over’ is so tightly played that it feels like going to crack in half at any given time. ‘September’ ends the album, which is as seductive as the Black Angels and just as lush. Dead Meadow are a band that can do justice to anything they turn their mind too, be it psychedelia or the blues. A fantastic group.

Track Listing:-

1 Six to Let the Light Shine Thru
2 1000 Dreams
3 Mr. Chesty
4 I'm Cured
5 Warble Womb I
6 Yesterday's Blowin' Back
7 One More Toll Taker
8 Rains in the Desert
9 Burn the Here and Now
10 All Torn Up
11 In the Thicket
12 Copper Is Restless ('til It Turns to
13 Warble Womb II
14 This Song Is Over
15 September

Band Links:-

http://www.deadmeadow.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DeadMeadowOfficial
http://www.songkick.com/artists/471526-dead-meadow

Label Links:-

http://www.xemu.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Xemu-Records-160065924031794/
https://twitter.com/XemuRecords
http://xemu.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtf60U-J0KC1eQLbfgNU6yQ

live reviews

Firebug, Leicester, 2/10/2013

Anthony Strutt is excited by American three-piece Dead Meadow's psychedelic blues in a deafening show at the Firebug in Leicester

Babylon, Ottawa, 3/7/2004

favourite album

Dead Meadow (2013)

Richard Lewis reflects on much acclaimed Washington DC psychedelic/stoner rockers Dead Meadow's 2000 eponymous debut album, which has just been reissued

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