Band : The Higher Craft
Album Title : Magic Box
Label : Big Yellow Taxi
Distributor : Bertus
Release Date : December 2008
Review : CD

Here’s one more stunning psych surprise out from UK, The Higher Craft is the band name, and this is its first outgrowth. The Higher Craft is a brain-child of the guitarplayer Craig Twining and vocalist Christina Poupoutsi who have been playing in Peyote Mothership and The Magic Mushroom Band before

Magic Box is a 9-track album and it strays through many different styles. I could mention Steve Hillage stuff vaguely, Eddie Hazel-‘maggot brain-ish’ guitarwork slightly on certain tracks, or the work of Can in ways.. The songs are graced with the improvisational beautiful telling voice of Christina who sounds a little like Renate Knaup (Amon Duul II). The guitar lines by Craig Twining are spacious affairs, threads of swirling, mind boggling and wailing guitarwork. The track I like best is “Time has come” where I really like the beat and structure. The whole thing oozes space appeal to me, the vocals are stunning, I like her voice a lot on this track. The music is very driving but not that dancey, more chill out stuff, it fills your head, the bass thumps, the atmospheres swell, it is my favourite track. There’s even a radio friendly quality to this song though it's mucho psychedelic. “Poetic justice” and “New moon” consist of dreamy psychedelia with a bit of a 70’s funkadelic kraut edge. “Lazy daisy”, “Senorita” and “Planet Clairvoyant” have a drugged feel but the full sound gives a pounding acid punk potency to the music.

Check out myspace/mysteppingstoneage.com  recommended

88/100

Cosmicmasseur.