Release Date: September 13th 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Trails: Tracklisting
1. Passage
2. Trails
3. Veins
4. Emerald
5. Below
6. Tonic
7. Vessel
8. Voyeur
9. Given
10. Wolves
Members
Armand Lance - Bass, vocals
SJ - Violin, vocals
Landon Cisneros - Drums
Sean McCormick - Guitar
Review
Trails is the new album from Psych Stoner Rockers Spirit Mother who released their critically acclaimed debut album Cadets back in 2020. A well received live album (Live In The Mojave Desert Volume3) followed in 2021 and the band are back with a masterful record that sees them blends Psychedelic Mysticism with a sense of harsh realism shown within the storytelling aspect of their music. The music is quite trippy and takes inspiration from 70’s Hard Rock, Space Rock and modern day Post-Stoner attitudes coming through the gloomy atmospherics which is used to great effect especially within the epic second track Trails.
Spirit Mother are not your standard Psychedelic Stoner Rock band delving into areas of Folk Rock that have a certain realistic quality coming from the excellent vocals of Armand and SJ. The band take a certain Fleetwood Mac approach with the more mellower parts of the record but Spirit Mother are quite adept at playing with people’s expectations and playing music that will instantly surprise you in many ways. As the record transforms into full on Sludge Rock within the superb standout tracks of Veins and Emerald. There’s a harsh DOOMGAZE flow to their music with a bleak romanticism hidden within their lyrics.
One of the main strengths of Trails is how progressive and forward thinking that Spirit Mother actually achieves within each of the individual tracks. There’s a hidden depth and darkness to their music which overlaps with a stunning Psychedelic and Spaced Out backdrop of aggressive instrumental passages.
The production is handled by Eddie Brnbaic (Guitarist from Hippie Death Cult) and Jonny Bell. Eddie also handles recording duties and Jonny is responsible for mastering duties. Plus the album is mixed by John McBain (Monster Magnet, Wellwater Conspiracy). This is the main reason why the album sounds brilliant throughout as well.
Trails even sees Spirit Mother venture into areas of Acid Rock and Doom-Pop textures within the incredible fifth track of Veins which is vastly becoming one of my favourite tracks I’ve heard this year. As it’s quite a bleak Folk Rock take on the whole Psychedelic Stoner Rock movement which is becoming quite popular but Spirit Mother reinvents that style of music with a sense of Classic Rock that’s full of passion and rich in storytelling.
The final parts of the record captures the attitude of Classic 90's Alt-Rock scene with Grunge aesthetic allowing a subtle Punk Rock attitude beginning to form with Spirit Mother becoming more rebellious and buoyant with the Stoner instrumental sounds leaving you wanting to hear more.
Spirit Mother have released an absolutely majestic work of art with Trails with its many different styles of Sludge/Stoner Rock being quite original and absolutely breathtaking to fully experience.
WOW. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Trails will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from Friday September 13th 2024.
