It's easy to forget that the 60's weren't all flowers and sunshine. For those who experienced it, the 60s were a truly frightening time while our culture was changing and war was burning, and if you think about it, not much has changed since then. Life as we know it is changing, for better and for worse, and our music is a reflection of this changing culture. Austin's Black Angels have always thrived on bringing to life the darker sound of the sixties and making it relevant to the present. Their new album, Phosphene Dream, (available September 14) is the total opposite of the overdone fluff in pop. The album title itself counteracts the lighter side of music that indulges in the "teenage dreams"of Katy Perry or Beach House.
Phosphene Dream shows the Black Angels coming into their own musically, and the result is chillingly moving. The opening song, "Bad Vibrations", evokes images of war and madness. This song reminds us that perhaps we are really alone in our own insane thoughts. "You were my best friend / you used my name" is one of the many nightmarish lines singer Alex Maas croons over a series of eerie tremolo organ noises and guitarist Christian Bland's dripping, swirling guitar riffs a la Iron Butterfly. The result: a perfectly creepy soundtrack to a coming apocalypse.
You can stream the new album on their website: www.theblackangels.com
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