Spirit Mother to Release Trails Sept. 13; “Wolves” Streaming
I like this band, and I like this record. I like that since 2020’s Cadets (review here) and the subsequent 2021 livestream and live album, Live in the Mojave Desert (review here), the band have grown audibly and taken on atmosphere and character in addition to that with which their sound was already rife. I liked seeing them live last year at SonicBlast in Portugal (review here), was stoked to premiere the single “Locust//Dead Cells” just before doing so, and was happy to do a bit of bio-ish writing for the upcoming LP, Trails, which will be out Sept. 13 as Spirit Mother‘s first (studio) release through Heavy Psych Sounds.
That’s it. As the album announcement comes through, that is the bulk if not the sum-total of what I want to say about it: I dig the band. Also, they don’t seem like assholes, which also always helps. I’ll be curious to see how the album is received and how they do at Desertfest New York that same weekend, with the somewhat darker vibe they bring to desert-style tone and flow, but nothing I’ve seen or heard from them yet has put me off, and while those celebrating a genre’s roots are certainly welcome in my ears, a band like this who bring new ideas and methods to established genre norms is both rarer and more prone to innovating the styles in which they reside.
First song streaming now. It’s “Wolves,” which is the closer and an awesome choice for a single, and the PR wire sent the following:
SPIRIT MOTHER to release sophomore album “Trails” on Heavy Psych Sounds this fall; stream debut single “Wolves” now!
US heavy rockers SPIRIT MOTHER have signed to Heavy Psych Sounds Records for the release of their sophomore album “Trails” this September 13th, and unveil a compelling first track with “Wolves” exclusively on Doomed & Stoned!
Spirit Mother’s forthcoming album “Trails” brings the energy of the band’s visceral, all-in live performances while expanding on the sensibilities of their debut album “Cadets”. It is the undeniable next chapter in the band’s creative process. The darker tonality, heavier, fuzz-fueled riffs, and relentless rhythm section accompany prolific structures and arrangement. The violin summons a brooding, atmospheric pedestal for the remaining power trio to wield with fervor. Lance’s haunting vocals and stark lyricism intersperse the instrumentals with a melody as dynamic as it is accessible. It is the culmination of road-worn years in pursuit of the art, and the moment-to-moment adrenaline of studio exploration.
Tracklisting:
1. Passage
2. Trails
3. Veins
4. Emerald
5. Below
6. Tonic
7. Vessel
8. Voyeur
9. Given
10. Wolves
About “Wolves”, bassist and vocalist Armand Lance says: “Lyrically, Wolves is a questioning. An interrogation of the world around us, and our concept of face value. Our daily pill. What does it take to free your mind from influence? To form a truly original thought or perspective? Would you even know it if you did? Sonically, Wolves paints the full picture of Spirit Mother – so it only makes sense as the first single off “Trails”. All our songs are first written as folk songs on acoustic guitar – focusing on the lyrics, the chords, and the song structure. It’s our foundation and it gives us the direction before the fuzz hits.”
Produced by Eddie Brnabic & Jonny Bell
Recorded by Eddie Brnabic at Level 8-4 Studios in Portland, OR
Mixed by Jonny Bell at Jazzcats Studios in Long Beach, CA
Mastered by John McBain
Cover art by Mike McKenney
Photo by Eddie Brnabic
Design by Matthew Franco
Vinyl Insert by Chloe Owen
With special thanks to Ryan Jones & Kevin Blumeyer, and touring violinists Camille Getz, Kaitlin Wolfberg & Mia Nardi-Huffman.
Spirit Mother are:
Armand Lance: Vocals, Bass, Baritone, Acoustic & Electric Guitars
SJ: Violin & Vocals
Sean McCormick: Electric Guitar
Landon Cisneros: Drums & Percussion
https://www.facebook.com/SpiritMotherBand/
https://www.instagram.com/spiritmotherband/
https://spiritmother.bandcamp.com/
https://www.spiritmotherofficial.com/
heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/
I think this is my most anticipated album of the year.
They might have been my favorite set from Ripple Fest last year, I’d expect they will crush Desert Fest NYC this year.
Oh that is heartening, Adam. I’m seeing them open for Acid Mothers Temple in Philly (the night after Boris in same town, oddly) and having seen AMT, at some point, I also just want to hear a song, and I pretty much bought the ticket on the strength of that ‘live in the mojave desert’ record. Having never seen them before, I’m really looking forward, and imagine/hope they’ll have this CD on hand with them, one less thing for me to remember that I owe some strange, insurmountable amount of money to heavy psych sounds on any given day.
Thanks, JJ – I’ll look forward to your review of this album!