The new release from Drivin’ N Cryin’ is the third EP of an anticipated four, each dedicated to a different genre that has shaped the foundation of the band’s sound over the last 25 years or so. While the previous EPs have been stellar, this one is by far the best of the bunch. With each song drenched in psychedelia, this record pays great respect to the genre.
The EP opens with "The Little Record Store Just Around The Corner," a trippy homage to the psychedelic bands that started the genre like The 13th Floor Elevators and this one is complete with an electric jug sound that was a familiar component of the Elevators’ sound. Though with this release the band professes their love for the genre, this song professes their love of the local record store they would haunt to get the latest releases from bands like psychobilly favorites The Cramps.
"Metamorphcycle" has the ever familiar lyrical request for you to "open up your mind," complete with a hook-laden guitar lead and the trippy slow down/start-up that gets you into the groove. It always impresses me with how gifted their writing is; when the band says they are doing an EP with a punk or country rock theme to it, they kill it. The same goes with this genre as the psychedelic sound is something they seem to be at home with. The next tune, "Upside Down Round And Round," is a slow acid-tinged trip that has some acoustic guitars playing off of a Middle Eastern string backing. Again, you long for the ‘60s when you hear the effort they put into the song and that's the payoff.
My favorite off the EP is "Sometimes The Rain Is Just The Rain," which starts off with a drifting Pink Floyd sounding keyboard transitioning into a song that could have come off of an early Moody Blues record. The song slowly builds and comes complete with a spoken word break in the middle explaining to the listener that "Sometimes the rain is just the rain."
"The Sound Room" cranks it up a few notches and rocks from the start. It almost crosses between psych and early punk to an extent, complete with spacey lyrics and a heavy rock beat behind it. The EP closes with "The Psychedelic Clock" which immediately conjures up memories of The Strawberry Alarm Clock and Roky Erickson And The Aliens. This one is a straight-up psycho surf rock instrumental that fills out the sound they were looking for. As I said, if you haven't heard the previous two EPs go get them along with this one and you will be hooked on the band. I, for one, can't wait to hear the fourth and what genre of music they will hit up next.
See also
www.drivinncryin.com/
