Greenleaf
Trails
& Passes
Small
Stone
May
2014
The
band:
Bengt
Bäcke - bass guitar
Sebastian
Olsson - drums
Tommi
Holappa - guitar
Arvid
Jonsson - vocals
The
songs:
1.
Our Mother Ash
2.
Ocean Deep
3.
Equators
4.
Depth Of The Sun
5.
Humans
6.
With Eyes Wide Open
7.
The Drum
8.
Bound To Be Machines
9.
Trails & Passes
Alright
it seems that I again have to to be the village fool. 'Trails &
Passes' is my fellow Swedes' 5th full-length but up til now I
have never heard of them. I know I should be more than ashamed
especially since I like guitarist Tommi Holappa's other band Dozer.
Let me blame it on having lived in the States for too long.
Regardless my pettiness I am glad this album was sent my way because
the trippy, spaced out stoner-psych Greenleaf are playing is
absolutely fantastic. And it gives me some backtracking to do since
these bonged-out Swedes are well worth checking up on.
Guitarist
Tommi Holappa and bassist Bengt Bäcke are the only mainstays through
the band's career and this time they have brought in singer Arvid
Jonsson and drummer Sebastian Olsson. And this new constellation
don't disappoint. Of course, I don't what their previous releases
sounds like but that doesn't matter because Greenleaf lets the riffs
and the groove dictate this wax.
A
bluesy riff starts off opener 'Our Mother Earth' before the
band launches into a barnstormer of a song. Leaning heavily into
heavy rock of the 70's it's a brilliant starter indeed. Going for
groove and jam 'Ocean Deep' builds up slowly until this
psych-sounding piece kind of explodes in the second half with a
brutal guitar solo. Starting almost like 'Mississippi Queen',
'Equators' quickly turns into a stoner tune mixed with a good
pinch of power blues of the highest order. Amazing, you hear?!?!?!
It's back to groove and spaced out rock on 'Depth Of The Sun'.
Almost like a Clutch song with John Garcia or Mark Lanegan on vocals
'Humans' is that type of song that builds up increasingly in
parts. Slightly different but very good.
'With
Eyes Wide Open' takes us on a trip and a half. Just stick your
nose in the rose in the hole and it smells like a dream if you know
what I mean. An awesome space trip on the slower side so just close
your eyes and you'll be somewhere else, somewhere good! Knee deep in
blues with blistering guitar work and some heavy hitting drumming
'The Drum' is over too quickly. Remedy is right around the
corner though in 'Bound To Be Machines'. Greenleaf play some
real good riff-infested stoner here with Arvid sounding like Mark
Lanegan which is a big plus in my book. Round of the album is the
title track and the Screaming Trees references are here in abundance
and I love it. Musically it's more spacey and stoner than the Trees
ever were. It's in the vocal delivery and the harmonies it comes out
and it is amazing.
Well,
what can I say? A better introduction than this to a "new"
band is virtually impossible. 'Trails & Passes' took me by
storm and it is constantly growing which is a great trait in a great
album. Not only that, it also has given me a purpose, a strong
purpose, in getting my hands on the band's other releases. These guys
are way too good to be ignored so get off your asses and investigate
and invest in Greenleaf!
Håkan
Nyman
Thanks to Small Stone Recordings for sending ourselves a promo to review. Trails & Passes will be available to buy from May 13th 2014 on CD/DD from Small Stone Recordings on BandCamp and their official website.
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