Band : High Watt Electrocutions
Album title : The Bermuda Triangle
Label : Introspection records
Distributor : /
Release date : 2010
Review : CD

I just can't quite put my finger on the third release by High Watt Electrocutions.

High Watt Electrocutions is not a band in the traditional sense of the word, but a pseudonym for Ryan Settee, the man behind the music and arrangements. Between the acoustic Americana rumble and hypnotic drone, this has a soaring addictive "turn on, tune in and drop out"-quality rarely found in the gray zone (‘bermuda triangle’) of space/psych rock. The sound of the music ranges from ambient trippy to steadily driving, but it keeps the same atmospheric, eerie-soundtrack quality throughout. This one-track album is a pretty interesting piece, with ringing guitar patterns sounding like something out of a Greenaway soundtrack. Eerie stuff to say the least, and its epic length of 38.48m only adds to the drama Settee builds throughout. High Watt Electrocutions’ music tends to lean on the mellow Spiritualized/ Spacemen3/ Pink Floydsound, where beautifully repetitive themes are led by acoustic/electric guitar and keyboards. Unlike in the past (his previous albums Night Songs and Desert Opuses), he is showing himself from an unusually mellow side, and rarely kicks in the distortion pedal of his guitar. The playing is beautiful though there isn't much here that is technically demanding. The guitar leads are tasteful and appropriate, focusing on melody and mood instead of flash.

After repeated listens, this is one of those albums that just gets better and better, and if you have patience for slow moving and moody instrumental music you might find this to your liking.

Cosmicmasseur.