Buffalo Killers

Cincinnati natives Buffalo Killers, aka brothers Zachary and Andrew Gabbard (ex-Thee Shams) plus drummer Joseph Sebaali, specialise in slowed-down, drugged-out psych-garage stompers with riffs as beefy and hirsute as the band themselves. Album opener "San Martine Des Morelle” sounds like vintage ZZ Top at 78 RPM, with brother harmonies and wah-wah guitar out the wazoo, while "SS Nowhere” is a hypnotising stoner jam, with John Lennon-style flange vocals and the absolute barest of chord changes. Not afraid to mix things up, however, both "With Love” and "Down In The Blue” resemble Alex Chilton doing a ’68 Beatles blues, while "The Path Before Me” sounds like a long-lost CSNY number (minus the four-part harmonies but triple the amplification). Then, and most surprisingly, after plentiful fuzz-rockin’ Blue Cheer space-outs, the band unveil a harpsichord out of absolutely nowhere and send us out the door with a sleepy-but-happy grin on baroque pop album closer "Something Real.” Nicely done, sirs.