The Spyrals: Retrograde
(Inside The Moon Records)
LP | DL
Those L.A. based fuzzed-up and spaced-out blues-rockers The Spyrals unleash their fifth album Retrograde on an unsuspecting public. It’s an impressive collection of songs which envelops you in immersive rhythms and swirls of psychedelic soundscapes which will certainly attract fans of the likes of The Black Angels, Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Oh Sees.
Formed in San Francisco back in 2009 under the guidance of Jeff Lewis, it’s been quite a ride for this collective of blues-based rockers whose penchant for garage and alternative rock’n’roll with a heavy psychedelic twist has been burning up stages on the west coast as they continued their mission to hone their loud and magnetic live performances. And they have followed a very consistent path in trying to emulate their live sound within the studio which has been evidenced through their four albums to date. Their last album in 2020, Same Old Line, was a very fine example of how they weaved their own brand of stripped back and raw blues into a collection of songs which oozed sleaze and swagger.
Now the Spyrals bring us their fifth album, Retrograde, which undoubtedly leans far more into the psychedelic whirlpools which were filled by their forefathers and consistently agitated by some of their contemporaries like The Black Angels and Brian Jonestown Massacre who followed in their wake. With Jeff Lewis leading the line on guitar and vocals, augmented by Georgia Feroce on bass, keys and vocals and Dash Borinstein on drums and percussion, there is little doubt that this new album plunders their psychedelic roots more than ever before. And after self-recording multiple albums in practice studios and garages, and months of jamming to further develop their sound and songcraft, the band finally entered Station House studio in Echo Park, Los Angeles in early 2024 to create eight gloriously majestic soundscapes which comprise this album.
New War kicks off the album in fine style with an opening riff whose fuzzed up grooves pay more than their due to The Black Angels, before being taken over by an epic swathe of frenetic rhythms and shimmering guitars which wail and distort as the somewhat haunting vocals circle above psychedelic soundscapes. It seems this song was inspired by a riff which first saw the light of day when the band was being formed but which was reignited back in 2021 and gradually honed through live performances. With a narrative which recognises that a new war is never far around the corner, its very much a foreboding soundtrack for the modern era. Uh Huh revs with a much darker energy as it ploughs a much deeper sonic furrow with its hard-edged metronomic rhythm and burning bass line interspersed by hot and saturated guitar solos which push the amps to their limits.
Danger Us is a glorious blending of The Black Crowes and Brian Jonestown Massacre as the storming blues rhythm and wailing harmonica are enveloped by psychedelic overtones, with vocals which channel a real sense of anguish and insecurity as the narrative follows a very dark and sinister path. Turns To Me follows in a similar vein but with the keys playing a more dominant part, whilst the shimmering guitars and more uplifting melody take us into a world of fantasy. Dream Believin’ weaves a more complex spell with a narrative focused on a desire to stay asleep to enjoy those final moments before waking up. It features some incendiary guitar work which literally burns through the speakers as raw and ragged garage rock meets explosive psychedelic rhythms head on.
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If all that is not heavy enough, the guitar once again pushes the boundaries of saturation through extensive jamming on What’s Real with the overloaded guitar creating a real level of intensity and immersive power. The pace lifts significantly through a hard driving Echoplex which features some slide guitar which gives it a kind of stomping country blues vibe. You’re So Free closes the album, once again plundering their dirty blues roots with sneering guitar lines intertwined with a wailing harmonica as the guitar cranks up to the max, and the powerhouse bass and drums hold a solid backline.
In the space of 8 songs and 39 minutes, The Spyrals have created a body of work which captures an overblown cultural palate of thunderous rhythms and overloaded guitars all of which is channelled through majestic psychedelic soundscapes and dirty blues riffs. Retrograde is an album which harks back to classic influences yet signals a dark and ominous path into the future, all of which is most definitely live, loud and very real. As 2024 draws ever nearer to a close, this is yet another album to celebrate and put on the best of lists.
You can buy the album here.
You can find The Spyrals on Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.
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All words by Ian Corbridge. You can find more of his writing at his author profile here.
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