Psychedelic music always runs the risk of drifting off into the
atmosphere. If they’re not buckled down tightly enough, song parameters
will blow away, leaving nothing but wispy bits of feedback and drones
in their wake. And, well, that’s just noise. The Warlocks, a
psychedelic band from Los Angeles, succeed when they keep things
song-oriented. “Red Camera,” which sounds like the Velvet Underground.
It includes a continuous guitar pattern that burrows into your brain,
while a drum beat building toward nothing fills the background with a
slow-paced heartbeat. Organ tones and feedback rip into the song like
wild squalls the weatherman forgot to mention. “Standing Between the
Lovers of Hell” blends Brian Jonestown Massacre guitars and Thom Yorke
chortling that spirals into a layered crescendo of dark bliss.
Unfortunately, much of The Mirror Explodes can’t live up to
these two jams; instead, it’s steeped in repetitive and emotionless
guitar strumming and stuck-at-the-start song structures that sound like
they’re not very much fun to play.
— Matt Whelihan
This article appears in May 20-26, 2009.
