Crystal Antlers

Breathless and immediate, Tentacles is an intense, tightly wound batch of vibrant rock'n'roll by California's Crystal Antlers. Though they pay particular attention to the hallmarks of classic garage rock, the band seem too invested in the overarching history of punk and soul music to settle into any one particular sound. When songs like "Dust" and "Time Elapsed" erupt in their fury of cascading organs, rolling bass lines and drums, angular guitars and gritty, impassioned vocals, Crystal Antlers create a distinctive rumble that's as refined as it is street tough. There's nothing straight about the band though. For every composed wail drawn from accessible R&B structures there are noise experiments and drones like "Vapor Trail," which is led by a sleepy bass melody that's usurped by the sudden pedal-to-the-metal fervour of the title track. Powerful and uncompromising, Crystal Antlers conjure music from other eras and create something all their own.