It must have been five years ago when I took a punt on
buying the LiVE! FULL Tilt Boogie cassette after hearing a track online. The
tape arrived in its killer packaging with stickers and patches and the
recording from Kingston NY back in 2014 totally blew me away.
Fast forward beyond a couple of “end of year top 10” albums
in Geezer and Psychoriffadelia, the New York State 3-piece returned last year
with the more spaced out psychedelic blues EP Spiral Fires, setting the scene
for what Pat Harrington (Guitar/Vocals), Richie Touseull (Bass) and Steve
Markota (Drums/Percussion) were putting together for what we have here.
Dig is a word that I recon Pat Harrington says at least 20
times per day and it kicks straight in with a huge rolling riff, backed up with
some sweet cowbell. As you’re asked “can you dig it?” it’s already obvious how
good the albums production is, as it feels huge. The main hook of the song is
based around a couple of big groovy riffs that have that fuzzy edge, and again
that cowbell appears and there’s no way you can sit still to this. With a brief
interlude, the song slows down a bit, feeling like you’re off out into the
swamps and you get the first taste of the bluesy solo guitars that walk away in
style and take you out there, before that riff roles back in and you walk with that
swagger again.
Atlas Electra starts with a slow riff with a massive groove to it and I can see why people are giving comparisons of 70’s rock here. The song in many ways feels like the more laid back Geezer with a psychedelic touch to it, and that riff wraps itself around you and slowly grows as it takes control. As Atlas Electra slows down in parts, the production has a real up close and personal feel to it, as though you are right there in the studio with Geezer. Again, the solo work, laid back blues and slide guitar pull you in before Pat’s solo elevates everything higher and higher.
Dead Soul Scroll is a real moody affair with a dark trippy
atmosphere that sometimes strips it so far back that it feels like Pat is
having some sort of spiritual awakening. The final 90 seconds feel like he has
been reborn as when the riff kicks in, the whole band let loose and rock out.
Awake rocks like a classic rock 70’s jam with its slow
groove that tells you a story on the way to the last couple of minutes when the
guitar solo takes over with epic proportions and you can feel your hair in the
wind as you cruise on into the night.
Title track Groovy is something else. In my younger years
when I first discovered Kiss, their unique way of strutting their stuff made a
real impression on me, and the first time I heard Groovy it took me right back
there. The riff is warm and fuzzy but has real purpose as you can almost see
them strutting down 42nd street, cool as you like and not giving a fuck what
you think. From drums to bass to the vocals, everything here just screams
Groovy. The chorus with some keyboards and organ in the mix, will be in your
head all day. When Kiss first appeared and did their thing on the streets of
New York, there was a raw touch of magic, and Geezer have found it here.
The opening riff for Drowning on Empty is downright sleazy in the vein of ZZ Top or Mountain and just rocks after that. Throw in some Hammond organ and big 70’s solos and your set.
Now if you want to lie back and feel the night sky as you
take a trip to the unknown, then Slide Mountain is your jam. A slow and winding
journey into desert territory, the guitar glides in and out and soars towards
the stars in the night sky. Sit back, close your eyes, open your mind, and this
trippy five minutes of bluesy psychedelic magic is quite a ride.
Black Owl concludes the album with a huge near ten minute
jam. Starting off with a big stoner groove with a southern twist that almost
drifts into doom metal territory, Black Owl stomps around like a hurricane
moving slowly across the land. Sounding more in the territory of some of their
earlier work, I am definitely getting the sounds of Saint Vitus or Spirit
Caravan here. As the song stretches out, the instrumental trip through its second
half is another hazy trip, seeing all three members musically on top of their
game.
What more can I say? Every time you think Geezer have hit
their heights, they come back with something even better. With Groovy they pay homage
to the best of 70’s rock and fuse it into the bluesy swagger they have more
than already perfected. I could sit here and write line after line about how
cool the record is, but you really have to go out and experience it for
yourself.
Add to the listening the awesome artwork that shines like a
backlight and you have an album that you’ll keep going back to for a long time
to come.
Released on Heavy Psych Sounds, you know that there is a
variety of cool versions to purchase. Dig!
