The intensity which defines Carlisle space-cadets The
Lucid Dream remains but they continue to expand their boundaries on
their third album, Compulsion Songs.
Although broadly ‘psychedelic’ they’re far from clichéd
and one-dimensional; keen to poke, prod and pulsate the body as well as the
mind. Magnificent opener ‘Bad Texan’ has a baggy - almost acid house – influence,
reminiscent of when guitar bands suddenly claimed there’d always been a dance
element to their music. It soars, then swoops, exploding with multi-specks of light
and glitter. A hypnotized field of ravers lost in its bass propelled groove and
metronomic yet aggressive beat.
The tension between heavy-limbed dub, shooting reverb and
melodeon on the eight minutes of ‘I’m A Star In My Own Right’ recalls Primal
Scream’s finest hour, Vanishing Point,
while the Stone Roses would do well to adopt ‘Stormy Waters’ now.
Their stock-in-trade are lengthy excursions. The 20-minute Krautrock finale ‘Nadir’/’Epitaph’ might not be for the faint hearted yet is thrilling nonetheless but they can cut
to the chase too. ‘The Emptiest Place’ is a galloping spaghetti western nightmare and
on the burning urgency of ‘21st Century’ they cry “Let’s take ‘em on! You gotta push on!”
The Lucid Dream are doing that, from the front. If they
could clean the slight muddiness from their recordings, the sky’s the
limit.
A slightly edited version of this review first appeared in Shindig! magazine.
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