I know the feeling. When I get stressed, it often manifests itself physically through sleeplessness. I’ll awaken in the middle of the night and be totally unable to return to whatever fucked-up unconscious state I was just experiencing. It can be hell. The unbridled joy I feel when one of those week-long spells ends is incalculable. The sweet, sweet sleepy bliss is supreme. Needless to say, when I saw the title of the new Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound record, When Sweet Sleep Returned, I actually cracked a smile. Shocking, of course, because I never smile. I couldn’t wait to hunker down and listen to the recording. But then, it turned out, I could wait, and I’ve been waiting for a month now. I guess today I’ll finally pen my review!
For those of you who are unaware, Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound is a psychedelic rock band from San Francisco. Their first, self-titled record, is an adventure through cosmic ecstasy, somewhere between Amon Duul II and Sabbath. In the current era of heavy spaced-out rock, they are like Tee Pee Records labelmates Earthless, or Brooklyn psych-monsters White Hills, but more focused and less experimental. The follow up to that first album (which was a vinyl-only release limited to 500 hand-numbered copies), Ekranoplan, drew comparisons to Cream and Hendrix.
When Sweet Sleep Returned shows marked growth for the band, which has expanded from a trio to a quintet: original members Michael Lardas, Jefferson Marshall and Charlie Saufley, plus theremin/synth maestro Anderson Lanbridge (whose contributions to the band’s first LP are remarkable), and multi-instrumentalist Camilla Saufley. If it is in fact possible for an album to come off like a modernized throwback, songs like “Kolob Canyon” and “Two Birds” would exemplify such a phenomenon. The latter features sunshine-y ’60s-inspired harmonies sung by fellow SFers Brett Constantino and Evan Reese (Sleepy Sun), and the former sounds like masively-amplified 5th Dimension-era Byrds.
When the band shifts its attention from expansive psych-pop numbers to heavy riffs and guitar solos, it does not sound disjointed; the sequencing is stellar. Despite it’s relative quickness, “Clive And The Lyre” and “Drunken Leaves” will please fans of the band’s bombastic guitar sound. Furthermore, those listeners who have longed to hear drawn-out jams will be happy to find four tracks that push past the 5-minute barrier, a marked difference between When Sweet Sleep Returned and Ekranoplan.
One disturbing trend found on many recent indie or underground rock releases is the disappearance of the guitar solo. As much as I enjoy terse, minimalist music, I grew up on alternative rock, and a good guitar solo still excites me. Too many records I’ve heard and too many bands I’ve seen in the past five years have given up on the guitar solo. Most “critically acclaimed” records — as I glance over some year-end lists from recent online ‘zines — have steered listeners towards jangly pop bullshit and faux-arty noise dreck. It’s nice to hear bands like Earthless, White Hills, Titan and Pinebender who can make lead guitar parts that sound fresh and inspiring.
When Sweet Sleep Returned passes like a demented dream one might have after a few too many glasses of bourbon. Otherworldly creatures, mutant lovers, giant plush animals, a wicked rocketship chase scene. You awaken, heart racing, beads of sweat clinging to your brow, trying to make sense of the reality in which you were just present. Unraveling the mysterious places, people and things takes effort. It’s better not to think of such trivialities, and just accept the non-reality for what it is. Embrace the unconscious places your minds presents you with as your body rests. Close your eyes, let sleep return, and create a new alternate existence. Maybe you’ll find yourself inspired to pen your own epic jam tomorrow.
When Sweet Sleep Returned, the new album from Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound, is available now from Tee Pee Records.
The Slumbering Ones (MP3)
Clive And The Lyre (MP3)
