Royal Purple

This six-song gem is one of the best attempts at authentic psychedelic pop by a contemporary American band in a long time. Not surprising, considering the band consists of veterans of the contemporary garage/psych ’60s revival underworld: Stu Rutherford (Creatures of the Golden Dawn) and Mike Syn (the Insomniacs), both of New Jersey. All tracks are well-chosen obscure ’60s pieces, obviously selected with the bands’ particular strengths in mind, with the exception of Pink Floyd’s "Cymbeline,” where vocals fall a little short. It’s still worth the listen though, as time not spent writing was well spent in the studio recording and engineering true to form original production that includes a bizarre and fitting variety of instruments. It’s also interesting to hear songs rarely covered, like the well-executed "The Way I Feel” and the rarely heard Beatles song, "The Inner Light.” It’s a treat to hear these rarities in the hands of competent musicians who display a genuine understanding and love of a genre so often exploited and then casually dismissed.