Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound-When sweet sleep returned

Teepee
2009



I don't know what the people at Teepee records have been doing, but their artists have been on a roll so far in 2009. The releases from Weird Owl, Black Math Horseman and Quest for fire have all been solid or better. Not to be outdone, the third release from California psychedelic rockers Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound may even be better than the three acts above. The influences include Blue Cheer, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, the Byrds, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. I have heard some rumblings about this band not being original. That's true, but they are fantastic at what they do. They know how to create massive flowing streams of fuzzed out tones, but they also know how to interweave and tie in some subtle yet powerful rock beats as well. The guitar parts are at times simple, but the genius is in how they manipulate the these simple ideas. There is a lazy groove that drives many of these songs. Familiar it may be, but they know how to lay on the textures and harmonies. They have a great sense of pacing and that allows them to really mix the influences and styles, but they never overstay their welcome. It didn't take long for this disc to convince me of it's merits. This is a band that us on a slow ride, but there are enough turns and twists to make it memorable.