Review: Night Beats – Sonic Bloom

The ‘Night Beats’ are an American male dominated psychedelic rock band whose mix of experimental garage explosion and quintessential rock& roll roar  has earned them a ever rising following and respect among audacious adolescents over the nation.

To this day, the boys have released only two studio records – the first being a self-titled debut which proclaimed their thundering, relentless style- . It is on their latest LP, ‘Sonic Bloom’, that there vigorously robust sound is shot through listeners eardrums like a ruthless arrow in a way unlike any other.

On the 24th September, the ‘Reverberation Appreciation Society’, the label arm of Austin Psych Fest, was  proud to announce the release of the new ‘Night Beats’ record. The album is titled ‘Sonic Bloom’, which in itself  suggest the flourish of mind-bending and sensual journeys that listeners are bound to embark on when sitting down with this kaleidoscopic masterpiece.

The cats that make up this dynamic trio, Lee Blackwell (aka Danny Rajan, D. Lee B.), Tarek Wegner and James Traeger, have been together for just half a decade and it’s easy to fall into the belief that a band that had been together for such a small amount of time couldn’t possibly bring out something so hard-hitting, and so mind-bending, could they? Well, guess again, because good God! The lads have  cracked it!

‘Love Ain’t Strange (Everything Else Is)‘ takes on the role of opening the newly released record and as history shows it’s not always easy generating a head-turning introduction to a record, very rarely do we see albums setting off with the likes of a ‘More Than A Feeling‘ (‘Boston’s title track to the self-titled Boston’) or a ‘Blinded By The Light‘ (the host of Bruce Springsteen’s essential ‘Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ)  But, this little number has done the job! The soul shattering solo guitar to this track sets the mood of right away, you’re in a trance of mystifying licks and riffs that would make any 1960’s Woodstock rockers knee’s go weak!
It’s in the vocals of this track where the magic really happens, The boys chants tear through you like an electric shock right out of the hell of garage rock making it one of the must-hear records on this years rock-list.

When listening to the album, you might want to take a seat, because it’s throughout the duration of the title track ‘Sonic Bloom‘ when the heavens really split open! Step aside Cozy Powell and distinguished drummers alike and let James Wegner take the reigns!  i’ll be damned if i hear any voice say that there is any better psych-rock track that melds in an unearthly drum beat with a galvanizing solo guitar riff quite so well as these threesome have achieved on this track. ‘Sonic Bloom‘ takes on all of the sexuality and electricity of the likes of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Crosstown Traffic’ and mixes that with all the rebellion and filth that The Animals’ ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ was drenched in. For those nostalgic of a time where rock&roll was it it’s grubbiest – long hairs rockers tearing out in their garages and backrooms to a heavy sound of spite, this is album you have been waiting for, hear it out and you’ll be begging for more!

Upcoming tour dates for ‘Night Beats’: