ALBUM REVIEW: The Mighty Delta Of Time – Smoke
‘Psychedelic swamp rock’ is not a phrase that is bandied about too much these days, but that’s exactly how Dutch trio SMOKE label themselves. Melding the laid back, hazy vibes of psych rock with a Southern sludge edge, theirs is a sound that can soundtrack lazy afternoons dreaming of the bayou, or an epic road trip through rugged deserts and mountains.
The Mighty Delta Of Time is their debut release and straight off the bat, it makes an incredible first impression. The production is rich, ideas are well realised and the songs themselves are a potent combination of raucous stompers and pensive introspections.
The former of these characteristics is best exemplified in lead single Lineage: festival-sized sing alongs abound, with a riff that feels familiar yet fresh and one final blow out that is sure to get crowds moving. On the other end of the SMOKE spectrum, we have Riverbed, which is a mournful, atmospheric number that creeps along without ever feeling plodding or like a chore. Instead, it’s a song you can really sink into; the emotion is so immediately palpable and the tone so molasses-like that even for something of an interlude it’s a track you’ll want to come back to again and again.
There are a few hiccups throughout; opener Ride seems to be setting the scene for the record but rather than continuing the vibrant world they are creating through swamp noises and a chanted gang vocal, the following song Lineage is a complete deviation, leaving the opening feeling unfinished or abandoned. Similarly, Motion is ironically the song where progress seems to stop to an extent, feeling far longer than its five-minute runtime, and ending again in something of an unrealised, hastily dropped number.
These transgressions are easily forgotten though when it comes to album closer Umoya, which may sneak onto a few fans’ songs of the year shortlists. Coming at the end of the album, this track will really make you sit up and pay attention, and want to hit play again right away. It takes its sweet time to build up via relatively gentle instrumental passages, the tender drawl of vocalist Kaj Arne Philipse (aka CajunKaji) and one of the most enveloping bass tones we’ve heard so far this year from bassist Martin Raanhuis (aka The Groove Chief). All of this comes cascading down in a deluge of thundering drums courtesy of Roan de Neve (aka Sludge), a spectacular guitar solo and a feeling that though this is the end of the album, SMOKE are just getting started. This is an incredibly accomplished track for a band that has so little recorded material under their belts, and suggests that they’ll be onto even bigger things in the future.
On the whole, SMOKE has delivered a neat little gem in The Mighty Delta Of Time. There are a couple of teething issues, but on this debut album, the positives far outweigh any perceived negatives. This may not light worlds on fire, but there is enough spark here for it to be considered a fantastic little bonus in a year so full of incredible releases.
Rating: 8/10
The Mighty Delta Of Time is set for release on May 27th via Argonauta Records.
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