Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 13/05/2016
Label: Riding Easy Records
‘Higher Time’ is a sincere reflection of a band that has been dedicated
to having their own bespoke brand of ‘70s psychedelic rock. Driving riffs,
solid rhythms, flawless vocals and explosive solos, this album is a superb
follow-up to their debut release and shows how far the band have come since
then. They have made this style of music appealing and popular in the modern
day and show no signs of slowing down for the future.
“Higher Time” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Evil
2. Social Phobia
3. Misery Keeper
4. Devils in Passing Time
5. Golden Mean
6. Higher Time
7. Ghost of Me
8. Natural Law
9. Crux
10. Two Hearted Woman
2. Social Phobia
3. Misery Keeper
4. Devils in Passing Time
5. Golden Mean
6. Higher Time
7. Ghost of Me
8. Natural Law
9. Crux
10. Two Hearted Woman
The Review:
The
album kicks off with ‘Evil’ and
straight away you can tell why they chose this particular track name. Laura
Dolan’s vocals are absolutely fantastic for this style of music and having a
husband-wife combination with her husband Ross provides a unique kind of
musical connection. The main riff is nice and chuggy and as the vocals blend in
with the killer riffs, Laura’s voice is very reminiscent of Jillian Taylor’s
vocal work in Philadelphia
The
next track ‘Social Phobia’ is some
straight up Sabbathian
riffage and the female vocals work incredibly well which makes you wonder what
might’ve transpired if Ozzy had been a woman! Around the 2min 40 mark Ross
unleashes into a ripping solo with some otherworldly sounds and raw talent
oozing from his playing. ‘Misery Keeper’, has a solid, driving
riff throughout with some very interesting sections, drawing influence from a
number of directions.
The
first band that spring to mind are Dublin’s Mother Mooch who have a strikingly
similar style and this combination of ‘70s style heavy rock riffs, psychedelic
lyrics and female vocals is proving to be a heavily desired sub-genre of music
due to the success of bands such as Ruby the Hatchet, Blood Ceremony and Purson in
recent years. Electric
Citizen have defined their sound and no matter what they turn their
hand to, they are producing top notch psychedelic rock. Tracks 4 and 5 are
packed with superb riffs and more soul-searing guitar solos from Ross.
The
title track ‘Higher Time’ has a
fairly simple structure but the raw power of Laura’s vocals combined with the
sonic atmospheres lurking in the backdrop creates a very absorbing environment.
After the slightly creepy spoken word interlude in the middle, the riffs wind
back in and Ross launches off into another relentless guitar solo. The style of
his solos are perfect for this style as it’s not taking away from the music or
distracting you with elaborate guitar parts. It all just gels very nicely in a
cohesive blend and the instruments all compliment each other as well as
complementing Laura’s vocals.
‘Ghost of Me’ takes the tempo up a notch
and they deliver the goods with some thrashing riffs and a slightly ominous
tone from the keyboards combined with the entrancing vocals. ‘Natural Law’ is another fine example
of how the band have defined their sound and set in stone their vision for both
image and musical style. Ross’s solo playing is on fire in this track and his
diversity as a rhythm and lead player really shows. ‘Crux’ has that swinging occult rock feel, it’s what I imagine lute
players in medieval imbibing emporiums would’ve been playing if they had access
to electric guitars, fuzz pedals and amp stacks. The final track ‘Two Hearted Woman’ begins with another
master-crafted riff and it seems like Ross Dolan’s barrel of riffs has no end.
The organ sounds are great in this track, layering a nice thick spread of sound
among the rhythm section. The last section has the same stomping riff ascending
up and up into a crescendo and the curtain falls bringing a close to an
extremely solid album.
‘Higher Time’ is a
sincere reflection of a band that has been dedicated to having their own
bespoke brand of ‘70s psychedelic rock. Driving riffs, solid rhythms, flawless
vocals and explosive solos, this album is a superb follow-up to their debut
release and shows how far the band have come since then. They have made this
style of music appealing and popular in the modern day and show no signs of
slowing down for the future.
“Higher Time” is available here
