The Album Of The day is
"Mobile"
by
Beaver.
Review:
Holland's Beaver worships the almighty groove. Shirking the bombastic approach preferred by most bands lumped into the "stoner" category (Kyuss, Monster Magnet, etc.), these retro-rock veterans have actually been around so long, they predate the genre entirely. No, Beaver's m.o. is an altogether subtler one: composing driving songs ideal for cruise-control mode that you can nod your head to, not bang it on the steering wheel. Opener "Private Stash" is a perfect example, laying down an oscillating riff, which is then topped with swirling harmonics and flowing, circular leads. Coming off their most experimental outing so far, 1999's free jazz-inflected Lodge (as well as assorted projects with the Queens of the Stone Age), Mobile is a return to more familiar shores. The bottom-heavy "Circumnavigation" and the Sons of Otis-like mellow grind "9 Lives" (complete with echo-effect vocals slipping in and out of the haze) provide further highlights, while seven-plus minute closer "Hour Glass" blows through a few red lights with its false ending. New arrivals to the Beaver experience may find frontman Roel Schoenmakers' voice a tad too similar to that of the legendary Wino, but Beaver's lengthy association with the American doom icon since the band's early days might explain (if not justify) this coincidence. And why nitpick? Mobile provides a welcome, laid-back ride for fans of guitar-driven retro-rock. (Ed Rivadavia,
All Music Guide)
Track Listing:01. Private Stash 5:25
02. At the Mirror Palace 4:56
03. End of a Rope 4:57
04. Circumnavigation 4:36
05. Liberator 4:28
06. 9 Lives 6:11
07. Immaterialized 4:46
08. Hour Glass 7:25
Download LinkOfficial Website
*All downloads are for preview purposes only and will only be available for a 24 hour period after which they will be removed from the site.
Holland's Beaver worships the almighty groove. Shirking the bombastic approach preferred by most bands lumped into the "stoner" category (Kyuss, Monster Magnet, etc.), these retro-rock veterans have actually been around so long, they predate the genre entirely. No, Beaver's m.o. is an altogether subtler one: composing driving songs ideal for cruise-control mode that you can nod your head to, not bang it on the steering wheel. Opener "Private Stash" is a perfect example, laying down an oscillating riff, which is then topped with swirling harmonics and flowing, circular leads. Coming off their most experimental outing so far, 1999's free jazz-inflected Lodge (as well as assorted projects with the Queens of the Stone Age), Mobile is a return to more familiar shores. The bottom-heavy "Circumnavigation" and the Sons of Otis-like mellow grind "9 Lives" (complete with echo-effect vocals slipping in and out of the haze) provide further highlights, while seven-plus minute closer "Hour Glass" blows through a few red lights with its false ending. New arrivals to the Beaver experience may find frontman Roel Schoenmakers' voice a tad too similar to that of the legendary Wino, but Beaver's lengthy association with the American doom icon since the band's early days might explain (if not justify) this coincidence. And why nitpick? Mobile provides a welcome, laid-back ride for fans of guitar-driven retro-rock. (Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide)
