Boston acid folk group, The Perfect Trip, have returned with a covers album like no other.
Available on CD and digital on their Bandcamp page, The Perfect Trip Covers The Greats is a complex tribute to over a dozen obscure artists. The band has taken songs by the likes of Alissa Orange, Ode to Bonnie and J. R. Mason, and rearranged them into intricate mini-symphonies.
The sheer density of sound that exists within each track is simply astounding. The group utilizes plenty of acoustic folk instruments, synths and a dazzling array of effects, but they also effectively employ a string section (courtesy of The Jane Doe Orchestra), horns and woodwinds. They then blend this esoteric melange with a collage of various field recording and TV samples that float back and forth from the background to the forefront of the mix. The styles and flavors of this record are as eclectic and varied as a mutated hybrid of Sgt. Pepper’s and The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter (a clip of the former even appears at the beginning of the album).
With the songs all bleeding into each other, shifting from one stylistic extreme to another, the album has the spirit of an acid trip soundtracked by a group of friends taking turns throwing on their favorite LPs in the background. For instance, at any point, you might hear something like phased vocals warping over a bed of backwards keyboards followed by a baroque chamber orchestra accompanied by the sounds of someone channel surfing. You get the sense that you’re hearing the world of The Perfect Trip from their own surreal perspective.
This is an unpredictable record that fans of Their Satanic Majesties Request, Van Dyke Parks and Cromagnon could get behind.
Click here to check it out.
-KH
If you like what you’re reading, please help keep RCU thriving. You can show your support by becoming a patron at our Patreon account or you can make a donation to our PayPal account below.
Record Crates United 