For a strong dose of hard and glammy psychedelic rock and roll, just give a listen to Hooveriii’s latest album, A Round of Applause.
Available through The Reverberation Appreciation Society (home also to releases by Christian Bland of The Black Angels, Joel Gion and Indian Jewelry), this record finds the LA band serving up the most fried-up ear candy this side of King Gizzard.
Tracks like “See” feature propulsive motorik passages, spacey instrumental breaks and wildly catchy hooks that are layered in drippy and disorienting effects, sounding like a blend of The Move and Ty Segall.
Hooveriii (pronounced Hoover 3), certainly pushes hard into their hallucinatory side, as each tune is a veritable sea of squirming overdubs, treated with as many mind-melting effects as possible. Yet, they still clearly have a love for song craft and ’60s and ’70s pop, as each song glistens with glossy harmonies, addictive choruses and an endless amount of studio tricks, all shoved into a tight 2-5 minute runtime.
Some cuts, like “Stone Men,” shimmer coldly and rock hard like a kosmische Wishbone Ash or T. Rex. Meanwhile others, like “The Pearl”–with its high Beach Boys-like vocals–lean further into Beatles and Harry Nilsson-esque pop. The secret strength of this record is its ability to balance. The band’s sound is too sweetened to be dark and yet too gritty and heavy to be saccharine. It’s a delicious blend of sounds and vibes that fits just right, like The Pretty Things’ Parachute LP or Love’s Four Sale.
For a dreamy tab of psychedelia you can easily sing along to after just one or two listens, check out Hooveriii.
-KH
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