Asteroid No.4

When they appeared on the scene via the Sounds of Psychedelphia compilation album more than a decade ago, it was clear that the Asteroid No. 4 had something rather special going on. That's why it has been more than a little disappointing over the years when they didn't quite live up to that early potential, especially when they became just another part of the homogenous Rainbow Quartz roster. But their planets are finally aligning with album number six, Hail To The Clear Figurines. Now signed to Anton Newcombe's the Committee To Keep Music Evil, they are definitely among friends and it has resulted in their best record to date. It is both an earnest homage to the psychedelic music they love and the perfect realisation of their own sound, with better quality control and shorter songs. Or to put it another way, they`ve definitely gotten the balance right with this new mellower incarnation, but it still has plenty of fuzzy guitars and vocal harmonies. And just like the best psych-rock, it is almost impossible to tell at which point during the past 50 years it was recorded. Great stuff.