Pass It On

Playing a blend of heavy, psychedelic, improvised space-rock that the band have coined “dome rock” (they recorded in a geodesic dome), San Francisco’s Carlton Melton set the tone ambitiously on their 2010 debut album Pass It On with a colossal cover of Pink Floyd’s 1972 instrumental “When You’re In” from Obscured By Clouds. The following original “Found Children” is a lengthy and lazy composition that stretches out to create an astral ambience so mellow, it’s hard to believe that half of this band used to comprise the hyper gospel-punk outfit Zen Guerrilla. Similarly, the atmospheric “Diggin In (F.F. Shite)” recalls early Hawkwind recordings with guitars that buzz, drone and moan over steady Krautrock-inspired beats (think NEU!’s “Hallogallo” slowed down) before the more haunting “Sequoia” smolders with undulating and flickering feedback that steadily soars skyward. The layered guitar textures and tangled tonalities spilling from “Against the Wall” could be why Pass It On was J. Mascis’ favorite album of 2010 — though the bookending 16-and-a-half minute-long epic “Star of Hazel” could have easily won him over as well.