Wednesday 22 June 2016

Comet Control - "Center of the Maze" (Album Review)

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 24/06/2016
Label: Teepee Records


Using the word understated might be the best way to sum up “Center of the Maze.” It’s this characteristic that makes Comet Control so inviting. Whether it’s the warm distortion used, the acoustic guitars deep in the mix, or how the light vocal delivery lays comfortably on a soft bed of blissful psych, there’s enough to get lost in. Comet Control struts a laissez-faire attitude with layered simplicity, which absolutely works in the band’s favor.

“Center of the Maze” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1.) Dig Out Your Head
2.) Darkness Moves
3.) Silver Spade
4.) The Hive
5.) Criminal Mystic
6.) Golden Rule
7.) Sick in Space
8.) Artificial Light

The Review:

Comet Control makes their intent clear pretty early on their sophomore album “Center of the Maze.” Coming at you with a heady sitar-like twang on the main riff, album opener “Dig Out Your Head” makes for a solid send off into space. The second cut sends the listener even further into the deep unknown, tumbling along with an urgent space rock drum roll accented by expansive shoegaze riffing. Comet Control hangs this spacey backdrop throughout these eight songs, providing a lush wash of headphone-ready psychonauts as a result.

Using the word understated might be the best way to sum up “Center of the Maze.” It’s this characteristic that makes Comet Control so inviting. Whether it’s the warm distortion used, the acoustic guitars deep in the mix, or how the light vocal delivery lays comfortably on a soft bed of blissful psych, there’s enough to get lost in. Comet Control struts a laissez-faire attitude with layered simplicity, which absolutely works in the band’s favor. Their tunes are laid back and far out. It’s how Comet Control combines these two qualities in their songs that make their songs worth checking out.

The potential downside to “Center of the Maze” is that the album sounds as though Comet Control hasn’t brought everything they have to the table. What “Center of the Maze” offers is an album that’s not as far removed from the band’s 2014 debut as it could have been. That Comet Control’s two albums are sonically pretty close doesn’t detract from the level of quality delivered with “Center of the Maze,” it’s just that the short creative step between the two albums leaves this new one feeling like there's more to be desired.

Center of the Maze” is available here



Band info: facebook