Rating: 8/10
Pretty Lightning are two friends, Christian Berghoff and Sebastian Haas, from Saarbrucken, Germany who formed the band after discovering a mutual love of 60s psychedelia, delta blues, krautrock and drone. When mixed together, the result is a healthy dose of raw, twisted psychedelic-blues utterly visceral sound which will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Wooden Shjips and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Ten years after their inception, they have two applauded LPs behind them, There Are Witches in the Woods from 2012 and A Magic Lane of Light and Rain from 2015. Their third release sees them join the enviable roster of Fuzz Club Records with The Rhythm of Ooze being released on 10th November.
The 10 track LP opens with ‘Thunder Mountain Return’, a lengthy instrumental track with influences from around the world coming into play; an Eastern vibe permeates the beginning with the track building in layers until a motorik drum beat takes over prominence alongside an eerie keys accompaniment before the return to Eastern percussion. ‘Willow Valley Blues’ is the lead track, with its dizzying garage blues rhythm, delayed vocals and pounding drum beat. ‘Tangerine Stream’ has an insanely catchy, fuzzy guitar riff and the chant-esque vocals only add to its appeal, the bands krautrock influences shine through strongly as the track progresses.
‘Loops’ like its name suggests, cleverly utilises repetition to build the track which blends seamlessly into title track ‘The Rhythm of Ooze’ which adds a heavily blues influence guitar riff and a removed vocal style which only adds to the intrigue permeating from the music. ‘The Machine is Running’ offers fuzzy guitars once more with echoing vocals and a beat that drives the track throughout. The tempo only lessens as a haunting keys riff gleams through and the krautrock influence shines strong once again.
‘Rainbow Fantasies’ is an apt title for the dreamy soundscape created with an oriental feel pulsing at its heart. ‘Pale Yellow’ is a different entity entirely, sounding like something Spindrift would produce rather than Pretty Lightning. That said, it makes its mark as it draws attention, ensuring the listener is paying attention. ‘Moles’ and ‘Born to Snooze’ round off with their throbbing countenances, fuzz laden backgrounds and piercing guitar riffs.
There can be no doubt that Pretty Lightning wear their influences on their sleeves in the production of this album, however this does not deviate away from the quality of the music they have produced as they take the listener on a hazy journey though varying genre of sound.
Order: https://fuzzclub.com/products/pretty-lightning-the-rhythm-of-ooze
