Interstellar Skeletal

Now a decade into their career, Brooklyn's Weird Owl return with Interstellar Skeletal, their fourth LP of cosmic, psych-inspired rock. As on their 2013 mini-LP Healing, Weird Owl continue to explore the more improvisatory, stoner rock spectrum of what has, at least in the 2010s, become a bit of a psych rock revolution. But while many younger bands are busy marrying the first wave of mid-'60s psychedelia with textural post-Flaming Lips electronic pop, Weird Owl continue to forge their own path of serious prog and Kraut-indebted experimental rock that manages to live just outside of trendiness. A mix of spacy, meandering guitar jams strewn with Pink Floyd-ian synth backdrops like "Flying Fortress" and the strong title cut, the album also introduces some nice acoustic textures on the the dreamy "Split from the Sun" and the brief coda "Interstellar Skeletal II." In keeping with their earlier work, the vocals remain somewhat buried under the waves of effects-laden guitars, not unlike early Spiritualized. It's a solid release with the quality musicianship and experimental nature fans have come to expect of Weird Owl, and while it may not break a lot of new ground, it remains true to the band's spirit.