Outrageous Cherry

Originally released on the now-defunct Poptones label in the UK, these Detroit psych-rockers have re-released this epic 20-song journey in North America with new trippy artwork to boot. Now ten years into their career, the band has had a couple of line-up changes, adding Aran Ruth and Carey Gustafson to the roster. Acid rock and psychedelia are what they do best and they definitely stick to their guns on The Book Of Spectral Projections. A concept album of sorts, this is great marriage of old and new styles, like a darker, more underground version of Kula Shaker. The production is certainly not shy on reverb, making the album sound like it’s being beamed from a giant underwater silo. There’s plenty of wah guitars, cool sound effects and percussion to make the songs stick, rather than just waft past in a haze. Not surprisingly, bongos, flutes, strings and the sitar make appearances, giving the album a rich sonic texture, even beneath all the delay effects. Keeping the listener’s attention for the duration of this long album would typically be a real challenge, but the variation of the songwriting style and instrumentation manages to keep things moving really well. And singer/writer Matthew Smith seems to know how to steer the ship, which could easily have gotten out of hand. All in all a great release that has thankfully been salvaged from the Poptones ashes.