The Besnard Lakes

A Coliseum Complex Museum

Published Jan 20, 2016

6
A Coliseum Complex Museum is the Besnard Lakes' first record since 2013's Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO. They don't deviate too much from the latter record's tried and true formula on this latest effort; it's a wall-to-wall psychedelic bliss-out, featuring eight tracks stuffed to the rafters with dense instrumentation and the lush harmonies of husband and wife team Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas.
 
Recorded at the band's own Breakglass Studios, A Coliseum Complex Museum is a real headphones record; a close listen allows the complex and multi-layered instrumentation to fully shine through. And yet, the record can feel like it is lacking in standout tracks, mostly because the hooks are somewhat absent, meaning that things start feeling a bit same-y towards the back half of the record. There are moments of transcendence — see the synth part in the middle of "Towers Sent Her To Sheets of Sound" or the insane duelling guitar solo at the end of album closer "Tungsten 4: The Refugee" — but none of these songs will have you singing along. Song titles like  "Necronomicon" and "The Bray Road Beast" give you an idea of what is going on here thematically, and the album features what may be the greatest cover art in the history of psychedelic record covers.
 
If you liked the Besnard Lakes' previous records, A Coliseum Complex Museum will definitely not disappoint. Though unlikely to win legions of new fans, this is another impeccably crafted psychedelic rock record sure to please fans of the genre.
(Outside)

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