Ozric Tentacles are sometimes considered "space rock," and it doesn't take long into opening track "Magick Valley" to see that might be a reasonable genre description. Drawing heavily from early jazz rock fusion and instrumental rock, Ozric Tentacles combine live guitar, bass, and percussion with synthesizers and electronic drums into spacey textures and frequent shreddy solos. Exotic instruments and synthesizer leads and riffs abound, sometimes just as backdrop and sometimes driving the song. "Magick Valley" has one section about halfway through with middle eastern instrumentation. "Oddweird" has a section with what sounds like a Japanese koto. "Oolong, Oolong" has a pervasive, sort of squelchy synthesizer which moves back and forth in the stereo field as the main theme at the beginning. "Plant Music" has a very trance-like synthesizer motif at the beginning.
The biggest problem with the album is, as my cousin once described another album, is that "it's a good...song." You could say that it's just a common thread running through all of the songs, but even if repeated rhythms, sounds, and motifs are intentional, they're far too common and it makes it hard to distinguish one song from another. There are, of course, some defining characteristics--for instance, the koto on "Oddweird" or the stereo synthesizero on "Oolong, Oolong"--but large sections of the songs could be otherwise be interchangeable. As a result, this is a good album to put on in the background, but I'm left wanting more in an instrumental album that I would be actively listening to. It's worth checking this disc out, but maybe I should also go check out their back catalog.
Info and Links
Ozric Tentacles - The Yum Yum Tree
Rating:
Preview and Purchase This CD Online
On The Record: The dB's- Rick Monroe and the Hitmen- Atlas Maior- Stoned Jesus
Hot In The City: Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Opens in Surprise, Arizona
What's Doing With Dave Koz? Christmas Carols and Cool Cruises!
On The Record: Craft Recordings Announces Record Store Day Exclusives
Live: T Bone Burnett Rocks Phoenix
Zakk Wylde, Kenny Wayne Shephard Lead 2025 Experience Hendrix Tour Lineup
3rd Annual Kid Rock's Comedy Jam Announced
Social Distortion, Peter Hook Lead Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival Lineup
King Diamond Cancels 3 North American Headlining Tour Dates
Sammy Hagar Shares Trailer For Best Of All Worlds Las Vegas Residency
Ghost To Share Sister Imperator Origin Story With New Comic Series
Riverside Announce Live ID Album With 'Landmine Blast' Video
John Petrucci and Rick Beato Make Cameos In Ola Englund's 'Game Over' Video