Slow Down Molasses

Kicking off with the instrumentalising ‘Faeries on High’ a thumper that sets the fuzztone, disso-noise-nance in anything but abeyance.

‘New Release’ thunders in and is Sonic Youth in revolt, propulsion-emulsion, aural daubing that syringes the ears. The guitar chopping puncturing and lacerating, an earwig out.

The U2ing and froing meets The Cultish ‘Intentions’ is anthemic-arena-rock, lighters aloft, hands held as submerged vocals exhort ‘I gave myself away’, an action rapidly regretted. Hands let go.

Maximum riffage abounds on ‘Moon Queen’ the echo-chamber effect concluding that ‘She is lunar, see’. ‘Levitation sickness’ soars and drops, the heights and lows, the pinnacles above and the depths below with a throbbing electro-pulse running through. Float on.

The ambient piano-drone of ‘Terminator iii vs Amon Düül II’ is a hypothetical fist-fight between Arnie the Borg and the motorik prog-rock-auteurs. Düül wins by a knockout in Round 2. Easy, easy … Amon, Amon ...

The ‘spirited’ ‘Ghosts and Vodka’ lifts the synth-‘n’-aesthetic from Joy Division’s ‘Love will tear us apart’ and splices it with echoes of Adrian Borland’s criminally underappreciated post-punk group The Sound. A cacophonous sarcophagus of disinterment that culminates in a guitar-slaughterhouse jive.

The grunge-plunge of ‘Night Terrors’ features a ‘I was wasted again at sunrise’ refrain, those twilight hours having passed by in the blink of an eye, total narco-unsleptsy running amok in the state of existence. ‘Flowers’ is a dreamy bouquet of barbed ire in the vein of Bauhaus, a crescendo of melancholic euphoria/euphoric melancholy.

This is a multi-varied album and one that wears its influences proudly on its sleeve and maybe at times too reminiscent of bands of yore (a feat nigh on impossible to achieve, granted).

If not exactly reinventing the wheel SDM are steadfastly keeping it turning. Saskatoon in, turn on and drop out these are ones to keep a Saskatchewan.

Find out for yourselves.