Californian foursome Allah-Las have produced a striking self-titled debut, which demonstrates a remarkably accomplished skill in crafting hushed, spellbinding surfer rock, often toying with psychedelic tendencies, and deeply evocative of classic American surfing music and culture.

The music is comprised of gorgeous, haunting, yet beautifully contained and controlled melodies, tinged with an ever-present bitter-sweet nostalgia. The soft, yet never-relenting drums lay down the foundation of each track, creating a hypnotic mid-tempo rhythm that exquisitely sets the tone for the album, the perfect backdrop to the blissful, ever-expressive guitar work that is the real heart of the music. The guitar carries the listener on an inspired journey through melancholic nostalgia and glorious imagination, from its deceptively innocent jangly chords, to its wistfully expressive guitar solos, which serve as the seamless canvas for the powerful yet masterfully contained vocals.

The melodies seem to roll effortlessly and tirelessly over suggestive images of dark, hushed nights and sunsets, American Old Western and dreamy sixties psychedelic culture, profoundly reminiscent of the lofty mystery and innovation of this era’s music. This is most evident in tracks such as ‘Tell Me What’s On Your Mind’ and ‘Busman’s Holiday’, which convey a perfectly captured sense of hazy magic and wonder. The album kicks off with the fantastic ‘Catamaran’, a sure-fire standout track of the album, whose cascading guitar melodies, infectious rhythm and echoing vocals draw us into their world.

 

Words: Frances Black

8/10