Flowers Among The Weeds

Whenever I see my Pavlov word psychedelic in a new album review, I always give it a listen. Unfortunately the review is written by a *shudder* Millennial who thinks psychedelic is a kind of pasta sauce, and the album was made by 'young people' [today's middle aged - Ed.] for whom a strummed electric guitar, placeholder vocals, and a touch of fuzz tick the boxes for that all-important Slate review. But very, very occasionally - almost never, statistically - something wonderful happens and a flower blooms among the weeds. Such as the UK's The Fernweh (me neither) and US visionaries Steady Sun.

The Fernweh (look it up) are seemingly influenced by (not chanelling) the Three O'Clock, Trees, Tudor Lodge, and maybe Appletree Theatre, all good sources, but they come up with something that is distinctively their own. The instrumentation is accoustic/electric, the songs diverse and memorable, the lyrics interesting and thoughtful, songs are actually arranged, and the singing, well, it's bloody lovely, mate. Talent and skill and good taste in every groovy groove. Very slight demerits are the drummer's dogged reluctance to move away from the snare drum, and a filthy wretched cover which actively prevents sales. So I did them a new one and here it is.

Steady Sun have one of the hardest-to-remember band names in the history of hard-to-remember. I've forgotten it again. Anyway. One reviewer opined that this was 'shoegaze' music, which shows how far back his musical awareness stretches, if nothing else. No, it's not shoegaze. What it is, is, is an unlooked-for and totally authentic reiteration of the Paisley Underground sound. From the very first bars of the first song you'll be in a shimmering swirl of wonderfulness. The drugged-out and lovely melancholy that the Rain Parade captured so effortlessly is here, and so are great tunes, great tones, great everything.

You should really jump over to your favorite on-line record store and buy these, because nobody else did, and they're keepers.