Friday, August 20, 2010

WORST ALBUM 2010



PSYCHIC BAGGAGE
Psychic Baggage
(Endless Melt) *1/2 

In the press release, Psychic Baggage are described as "water-damaged free jazz" and "a soundscape of fried theta waves". And that's exactly what it sounds like. Incomprehensible, ocassionaly inaccessible and totally far out, man. Not suprising, given Psychic Baggage is the work of Duncan Blachford, former Witch Hats drummer. The name was taken from an interview published on Mess+Noise last year, in which Witch Hats' Kris Buscome talks of producing an album's worth of "gacked-off-our-faces material". Psychic Baggage may have been recorded in a similar state but Blachford is a talented musician and, through delicate drumming, droning guitars and the odd patch of white noise, creates a Lynchian sense of foreboding. Opening track Free Sunshine is anything but light - and claims to feature vocals from Beaches' Alison Bolger. Didn't hear any, unless I mistook her voice for a reverberating piece of sheet metal. She also plays sax on the album closer, Drums Meet Sax. I can't say I enjoyed this record but if you're into water-damaged free jazz (as opposed to drought-stricken or fire-ravaged jazz), you just might.

Annabel Ross, The Age, 20 August 2010



Voted worst album in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, December 2010

Mail order via Endless Melt

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