Phase Zero

Phase Zero

The invocation of classic west coast psychedelia that permeates Morgan Delt's Sub Pop debut LP feels like a continuous sunrise, never concealing its influences yet perfectly putting its songs through a gauzy lens that blurs and obscures. Is such a thing even possible after witnessing umpteen reverb-jockeys creating their own take on the genre? Can anything truly different be done in the realm of being both original and reverent, wearing favorite records and artists' moves on one's sleeve? Definitely the case with our man here. After releasing a 6-song cassette in 2013 followed by a full length for the Trouble In Mind label, the California native now fine-tunes his sound world outwardly rather than honing in on a specific trajectory, allowing all of said influences to coexist together in a unique yet undoubtedly Californian vision. The resulting 10-song collection, performed entirely by Delt, recorded in his Topanga Canyon studio, and mastered by JJ Golden, is a home-fi construction with a more subtle, brain-tickling character than its predecessor, and somewhat reflects a realist take on the flower power fantasy of 1967. Doused in echo and haze, slow chords lap in like Pacific waves, flanked by gentle whispers of multi-tracked, cooing vox, phased guitars and fuzz that calmly surrounds the listener's head less than it jabs at the cortex. The great thing about Delt's approach to such history is (and sorry to sound harsh) that unlike too many of his so-called L.A. psych-rock peers, there's no costume involved, no application of a conjured identity to match a specific image. He's no psychedelic Civil War re-enactor, so to speak. It's subtle and tactful revisionism without using psychedelia as a crutch/easy marketing tool and letting the sounds come out and make their own case. It takes a creative mind to make psychedelic rock music â€“ tablas, drones, hallucinatory vocal effects, and all â€“ without slipping into clichÃ©, but Delt can transport what would normally be a dark-n-druggy blanket into a much more optimistic and friendly listening experience. Despite his voice being channelled through hallucinatory effects, it's warm and inviting, projecting a sense of hope (particularly in â€œSome Sunsick Day,â€ which evokes the hopeful â€œWe'll Meet Againâ€ as the world explodes at the end of Dr. Strangelove, later covered by the Byrds). It's more or less just an invite to watch the sun rise too. -Brian Turner, WFMU
Country USA
Brand Sub Pop
Manufacturer Sub Pop
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber 0098787113525
Model 0098787113525
ReleaseDate 2016-08-26
UnitCount 1
UPCs 098787113525
EANs 0098787113525

Country	USA
Brand	Sub Pop
Manufacturer	Sub Pop
Binding	Audio CD
ItemPartNumber	0098787113525
Model	0098787113525
ReleaseDate	2016-08-26
UnitCount	1
UPCs	098787113525
EANs	0098787113525

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