At long last, Totem Pocket, the shoegazey lovechild of Osmium House’s Aesop Adams and Aaron Dooley, has arrived and dear lord, was it ever worth the wait!
Hailing from Denver, CO, this new cosmic unit features Adams (guitars, vocals, synth, flute, percussion) and Dooley (bass, vocals, synths, percussion) launching into space with Chris Sparks (guitar), Phil Walker (drums and Rhodes) and Dan Somerville (drums). The band bashes out tight, catchy tunes that are awash with fierce fuzz and creeping astral drones.
Throughout many tracks, like the rousing “Keep It In Your Mind” and “NotEvenReal,” the group revs up like a Methodrone-era Brian Jonestown Massacre on jet fuel. On songs like these, guitars shimmer and squeal, while Adams and Dooley’s vocals glide over the top of the mix like slippery beads of liquid mercury.
The band also stays true to their kosmische roots, by delving deep into occasional soundscape passages, like the meditative “Guiding Head,” which sounds like a sacred ritual from somewhere beyond the stars.
If Wooden Shjips, LSD and The Search for God and Hawkwind are your typical picks for a heady good time, then you do in fact need Totem Pocket in your life. Click here to check it out for yourself.
-KH
Record Crates United 