Wand
Golem
In The Red Recordings
Street: 3.17
Wand = Ty Segall + Tame Impala
 
On the heels of their previous album, Ganglion Relief, Wand have certainly turned the heavy crank for their newest release, Golem. Frontman Cory Thomas Hanson seems to be charging headfirst into his psychedelic influences and craftily blurs the line between flower power and heavy metal. Songs like “Self Hypnosis In 3 Days” and “Cave In” drag the listener from skull-driving verses to thoughtful refrains and back again. Listening, I never quite felt comfortable in one place. Each song contains its own twists and turns, which provides an individual trip to every track. That being said, Golem does pretty well at keeping its feet on the ground. Even with the panning synth effects and moments of Doppler freak-outs, Wand emphasize their Black Sabbath–ian riffs in a way that keeps my ears focused on the progression of their tunes. Golem is very much a headbanger’s album, and although Ty Segall/Fuzz seem to have staked out this territory pretty firmly, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to bring a little more Wand into your life. –Nic Smith