Band : The Pillbugs

Album Title : Buzz For Aldrin

Label : Proverus

Distributor : Clearspot

Release Date : 2008

Review : 2CD

The Pillbugs , proclaiming themselves “the world's most psychedelic band”, are a Toledo, Ohio-based American psychedelic progressive rock group formed in the 1990s.

Buzz For Aldrin is a Toledo mix of blues, pop, garage, folk, surf, beat, prog and psych rolled up into one...there's even a few raga elements thrown in! Despite the 2007 recording and release date, this double album has a wonderful mid-late 60s sound. The vocal blend is superb and may recall Beach Boys and The Beatles , while the wistful mood and beautiful melodies are a bit like Love, The Pretty Things, Strawberry Alarmclock or The Kinks. Sometimes they do kick ass, if not with the tempo then at least with wilder fuzzy hallucigenic rhythms à la Electric Prunes , The Seeds and Yardbirds .   . Acoustic and electric guitars, drums and bass are present throughout, but glockenspiel, sitar, trumpet, bass trombone, cello, violin, clarinet, gong, tympani, piano, and who-knows-what-else drift in and out each adding their own flavours and nuances.

Yeah, sure there's a couple of tracks that didn't quite hit the mark but then most double albums (24 tracks) ever written are like that so it's a pretty shallow criticism.

85/100

Cosmicmasseur.