Velvet moth - velvet moth II

Velvet Moth 

Velvet Moth II
self-released; 2016

4.0 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Ted Rogen

There is a lyric on during the opening song on the new Velvet Moth album that goes “I know my ways are old-school”. That lyric sums up the sound of their album Velvet Moth II. The band from Australia consisting of Nikko (vocals/guitar), Dee Kay (bass) and  Guillermo Montoya (drums) is at the very least one of the authentic homages to 60’s and 70’s rock. So much so you occasionally pick out individual artists on certain songs.

The production is top notch just like on their first album. They managed to get that dry 70’s kit sound which just sounds great. Especially that snare drum.

They open with “You make me feel” which was one of my personal favorite tracks but also one that is entrenched in rebellious 70’s rock. Suffice it to say the song could have been used in the movie Dazed and Confused without batting an eye. It’s a killer track that rocks and also has a nostalgic feel to it.

Up next is “Will U kindly F O?”. Thanks for making this song kid friendly guys. The song is a romp with two different singers. They meld together quite well. I was also a fan of the psychedelic haze breakdown that builds with a rising voice, has gargling noise and even a surf rock section.

You can boil down most of the songs to a couple different influences but “Mad winter wondergirl”  seemed to be just one. “Mad winter wondergirl” undeniably sounds like The Doors and I’m not just talking about the music. The vocalist is doing a Jim Morrison impersonation.  “Lady Log” is a pretty straight forward rocker yet undeniably fun.

Sometimes I was digging the grooves so much I forget to listen to the lyrics. The lyrics often feel tongue and cheek exploring popular 70’’s theme like mind expansion. On “Here come the Astral police” the vocalist sings “Met a Swami at the filling station/told me things I’d never heard before/free your mind and the door will be opened/so don’t keep looking for the emperor’s clothes/an easy journey through time and space/but you must find your own way home'

“Happy campers” is another case and point where this time the band seems to be saluting The Grateful Dead and all the flower power that came with it. The band closes with “What do we know about rock 'n' roll?”. I’d have to say a lot. It seems obvious the band knows exactly what they are doing. They nail rock tropes down to the smallest detail and that is one of the reason this album is such a good time.

Velvet Moth II is a natural extension of their first album that works just as well if not better. Time to get on board the psychedelic  school bus.

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