A band named after the birth-place of psychedelia, from Glasgow. If you’re thinking you’re in store for an album of mimicry which affords the band members the liberty to practice free-love and ingest rainbows of LSD like I was, you’re in for a surprise. Haight Ashbury can play. There are no fake American accents, no painful one note guitar solos and you don’t have to be hallucinating to appreciate the music; there is a just a passion for the style that bleeds through each track on the the album.
The album opens with a savage sitar that is smoothed over by a silky vocal blend from singers, Kirsty and Jen in ‘Maastricht (a treaty)’. Kirsty also takes care of the bass while Jen provides the drums that propel their voices. Though what’s most stunning is the balance that this three piece have found. They manage to grip tightly to their style while moving from anthemic pop in their single ‘Sophomore’ to a hellish hacking sound in their onomatopoeic songs ‘Ta Wit Ta Woo’ and ‘Dum Dee Dum’. Everything is muffled yet everything is clear, the guitar weaves in and out of itself under vocals that race against each other, to create an engaging, introspective sound.
Haight-Ashbury’s second album is a mild masterpiece, to be enjoyed driving, or with a beer, or with friends, though it can also stand on its own two feet. This album is for those looking for a 2012 album set in the 1960s or a 1960s album set in 2012.