Rival Sons - Before The Fire

Psychedelic Stencil

Where the riff-rich Led Zep et al rock of Rival Sons’ 2011 album Pressure & Time became their clear breakthrough release, 2009’s debut Before The Fire provides the broader stencil for the current offering Head Down. The only slight nod to eclecticism on last year’s disc is the soulful, anthemic chorus on the title track.

This first self-released collection presented the classic rock roots by which they have firmly fashioned their place in the resurgence of the genre, but tracks like The Man Who Wasn’t There, Pleasant Return and the album’s two closing tracks Flames of Lanka and Nanda-Nandana all provide the more psychedelic explorations heard on some of their latest.

Pleasant Return is the most emblematic in its echo of The Beatles at their playfully psychedelic best with plenty of clever instrumentation and swirls of vocals, and of course distortion. Flames of Lanka begins in reverse [you know what I mean, the ol’ backwards played recording] and it segues into similar for Nanda-Nandana before emerging with its Eastern tones, orchestral rhythms, wah-wah guitar and general far-out mayhemness. Cool.