Where stormy surf rock meets 60s/70s psychedelia, South Carolinian rock ‘n’ roll trio The Albatross blaze an exhilirating new trail, tapping the veins of the vintage to craft one of the most compelling new prog rock records this reviewer has heard all year. Dark, bold, compelling and absolutely addictive to listen to, the 8-song album, “At Dusk” captures the gloom and starbreaks of its title, ribboning inspirations from Pink Floyd to Genesis, to Moody Blues and more within its lush and artful soundscapes.
“At Dusk” marks the band’s fourth full-length album, brothers Jake Kiehl (guitar) and Ben Kiehl (drums) and long time friend Zack Stoudemayer (bass) returning to their home studios for the first time since their debut record. Except, you wouldn’t be able to tell this was a DIY project. The “bedroom music” phenomenon has come an incredibly long way over recent years, and this record is as flawlessly home-produced as Billie Eilish’s own chart-topping, homemade debut, while (obviously) sailing an entirely different wave of sound.
Still need convincing? The band picked up their omen-inspired band name from a Monty Python sketch including, well, a dead albatross. The other half of the story involves the Fleetwood Mac instrumental, “Albatross.” Inspirations hardly get better than that.
This album paints satisfying guitar tones in vintage hues. Outlandish rock ‘n’ roll mixes with overwhelmingly sensitive moments, the chaos of heavy guitar effects and dingy, grungy rock moods momentarily parting, ballads emerging like sunbeams shimmering through the stormclouds. And when it comes to surf rock, The Albatross stray far from the Beach Boys route; instead plucking inspiration from “dark, cold, Northern rocky seascapes” rather than crystalline California waves, Ingenious.
The anthemic stoner rock jam, “The Seafarer,” is anchored by an addictive bassline, swaying and swelling with power like the unpredictable ocean. With prog rock vocals planting the cherry on top, it’s legitimately stunning how accurately The Albatross recreate those fresh, crispy analogue tones in our digital age, keeping every scrap of authenticity and kaleidoscopic imagination intact. But, why is this tune 15 minutes long, you might be asking? Personally, we wouldn’t cut a single minute from the extenuous, intergalactic guitar solo that forms the bulk of this instant classic. It’s like listening to the aliens land on Earth. Hendrix would certainly dig this anthem.
The upbeat acoustic jam “Plains of Abraham” faintly hints at the golden age of pop-punk. Track four, “Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy” is laced with impressions of early-era heavy metal. So, if you’ve ever been a nerd for rock music, in any of its many-tentacled forms, this album is bound to harbour something that will make your month complete. Even the seven-minunte album-closer “I Wish You Well” feels like a raw extension of Pink Floyd; reimagined and remastered with a fresh hit of modernity.
“At Dusk” marks the first Albatross album to make its way onto CD and Vinyl. Interested? Pick yours up on Bandcamp before supply runs out!
Our verdict on this album: Highly recommended.
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