Pearl Mystic

The trick to being a great droning psychedelic group is to let it be. Hookworms—from Leeds, England—are masters of letting sound come to them. They capture the beauty of Krautrock’s motorik rhythms and shoegaze’s static overload, with the other musicians leaving it to singer MJ to let them know when it might be time to change chords. An organ recalling The Velvet Underground's “Sister Ray,” played by the multitasking MJ, finds the melody behind the droning “Away/Towards.” When “Form and Function” follows, it’s with a great bounce that feels like a reflex from the previous track. Hookworms' debut album, Pearl Mystic, isn’t afraid to stay in certain territories for overlong periods of time. When things do ease off, it’s often to slowly percolate and build to another catharsis (“Since We Had Changed”). Recorded entirely at MJ’s own Suburban Studios, Pearl Mystic is the sound of a band that's less about individuals (all members use initials) and more about the gestalt.