A Thousand Wild Flowers

On their fourth album, the Sand Pebbles keep up the energetic tradition of psych rock with a passionate edge that seems to be endemic to Australia in the best possible way — though the soft chimes that introduce the album via the beginning of "The Day Summer Fell" may seem a bit of a contrast to that spirit. But with the slow fade-in of the rhythm section and the delicate guitar sting and easygoing singing that follow, it's all accomplished business as usual, though the Sand Pebbles clearly have the kind of spirit that balances out studio experience with the get-together-and-jam inspiration that got them started to begin with. There's a great tip of the hat to a forebear and, via their first label, Camera Obscura, musical compatriot with the concluding song — "Black Sun Ensemble," named after the legendary Arizona cult band whose own spindly and blasted visions of psychedelic inspiration deserve the exultant performance honoring them here. Piet Collins' fluid, rumbling drum work is the not so secret weapon throughout, his accomplished work lending just that extra kick song for song — his work on the overt Neu! tribute "A Thousand Flowers" is at once straightforward and possessing the right swing for the job as well. Yet the truer observation is that the quintet is perfectly balanced, everything sounding just right in comparison to everything else. Consider the balance between guitarists Ben Michael X, Andrew Tanner, and Tor Larsen on "Red, Orange, Purple and Blue," with everything from fried soloing to rhythm chug to soft melodic filigree feeding off each other perfectly. It's a beautiful moment on a constantly strong album. The American release featured three bonus tracks, including radio session takes of "Natalie" and "Short Term Memory Loss."