Bright Light Social Hour – Space is Still the Place
4.5/5
Austin, Texas has one of the best, if not the best music scene in the world, hosting the internationally acclaimed South by Southwest Music festival each year and the birthplace of iconic names such as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Spoon, and Gary Clark Jr. just to name a few. Continuing to give their hometown a proud name, psychedelic southern rock band Bright Light Social Hour are releasing their sophomore album Space is Still the Place, the follow-up to their debut self-titled album which won six awards at the 2011 SXSW festival, including Album of the Year.
Bright Light Social Hour show no signs of slowing down with their exceptional work on their latest album. While their debut was heavily based around southern rock n’ roll, the four-piece are channelling their music deeper into the world of psychedelic and blues-rock.
Album opener “Sweet Madelene” sets the pace with the groovy, psych-rock track that builds into a swell of musical chaos. “Slipstream” and “Ouroboros”, both of which have exceptional blues-guitar solos, build in similar, swelling fashion.
One of the early singles pre-released from the album, “Dreamlove“ continues the psych-rock formula, but incorporating their recently added synthesizer to provide a new dimension to their sound.
“Ghost Dance” brings forward the heavy, foot thumping energy BLSH was first known for with their debut album, giving the album a quick burst of energy.
“Infinite Cities“ brings out Bright Light Social Hour’s need to dance with an explosive dance-rock drumbeat matched with the band’s traditional blues-based, laid-back psychedelic guitar melodies.
Although two separate tracks, “The Moon” and “Escape Velocity” effortlessly transition from one psychedelic trance to the other. However, to close off the album, “Escape Velocity” is an 8-minute, hypnotic track that begins with a foundation of a steady synthesizer, melting into a swift vocal harmony. A drop in momentum suddenly expands into a full-band array of melody, chaotic rhythm and art-rock guitar solos.
From start to finish, Space is Still the Place is a cinematic, engaging journey; the Austin band make no mistake with their sophomore album and give their fans a psychedelic, fun-loving piece of art.
Enjoy the full album via YouTube.
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