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Lamp of the Universe: Heady Psych from Middle Earth

Free your mind and be absolutely terrified.

Likely I’d have bought it anyway, but what really sold me on Acid Mantra, the latest self-release from prolific deep-space psychedelic traveler Craig Williamson under the one-man-band banner of Lamp of the Universe, was when I read that it had more in common with older albums like The Cosmic Union and Echo in Light than more recent work Earth, Spirit and Sky and From the Mystic Rays of Astrological Light. Not that I didn’t enjoy those records for what they were — largely instrumental slabs of tripped-out psych from the wilds of New Zealand — but since my favorite songs from Williamson (also the bassist for the underrated Datura) are “Born in the Rays of the Third Eye” and “Lotus of a Thousand Pedals,” the thought of having more material akin to that was too much to resist purchasing.

The suggestion holds true: Acid Mantra does share much in common with Lamp of the Universe‘s early output, but it’s no more of a throwback than any of Williamson‘s output as ever been. The banjo-laden “Searching for a Sign,” for example, sounds like something you might hear on a Six Organs of Admittance record, and closer “Universe Within” even has drums! Drums and fuzzy electric guitars! Hell, I couldn’t believe it.

But it’s not necessarily that Williamson is aping himself, rather he’s just writing more active songs; songs that are more structured than have been those on his more recent collections. Acid Mantra is still psychedelic folk at its heart, with plenty of the sitars, tanpura and drones those who’ve followed Lamp of the Universe have come to expect, but they appear here tempered by more earthly elements as well. If you’re going to travel through the cosmos, you have to lift off from somewhere, right?

And for anyone who commenced their out of body experience with Heru‘s extended composition, Williamson offers the far-off droning of “Into Dhyanna,” with is 7:47 of instrumental echoing that could have been recorded on the wall during a Beatles jam in India. Acid Mantra‘s most down to earth moment, by contrast, probably comes in the form of also-banjoed “Freedom,” which appears toward the end side B. Opener “Love Eternal,” while one of the most upbeat tracks as far as tempo, is laced with gorgeous Eastern percussion. I want to start a foundation to get Williamson a Hang drum, just to see what kind of awesomeness he could slap out of it.

The blending of acoustic and electric guitars, mellotrons, drones, the aforementioned subcontinental instrumentation, banjo and Williamson‘s wispy vocals as presented on Acid Mantra means that the shroom-worship has taken on new dimensions previously unknown to Lamp of the Universe. This strain of exploration, at least as regards this album, is rich-sounding and all the various moods and styles play off each other to create an encompassing experience for the listener. If Williamson is out to further his own creative reaches, then it’s a mission I’m ready to support any way I can. Buying the record is probably a good start.

That rug really ties the room together.Lamp of the Universe on MySpace

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