White Hills – “H-p1″ – [Thrill Jockey Records]

Here is some spaced out, stoney, desert psych-rock. This record is synth heavy, mostly instrumental?? and maintains a driving solid drone the whole way through. The synthesizer here dominates. It serves as flying-saucer space sounds and fuzzed out synth-drone. It sweeps and bubbles, and pairs ever so nicely with heavily distorted, saturated guitar driven rhythms. The mellotron even makes an appearance here, though its so heavily processed its hard to single out. Vocal tracks tend to have more of a stoner metal, rock music feel (A1, B2, D). Instrumental tracks tend to be more synth heavy, abstract and jammy (A2, A3, B1). Side C is all instrumental, synth dominated soundscape with plenty of hums, drones, ambient soundsa and sharp noises with very little guitar, if any at all. Side D is 17 minutes of epic stoner rock, riddled with guitar solos, spacious sounds and synthesiezed sweetness. You really can’t go wrong here. This record is a loud, heavy, psychedelic journey through outer space with not a catchy song in sight. To be thoroughly enjoyed by all. -Surfer Rosa