The Black Angels - Indigo Meadow (2013)

Yes, The Black Angels owe a huge debt to The Doors and their Texas forefather; Roky Erickson of the 13th Floor Elevators. Not to mention heaping spoonfuls of other ancients like Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground, Link Wray, Black Sabbath, The Monks, Them, Beatles and other idols of the 60's. At the same time, the ancients owe the Angels in payback for recreating and reconstructing their music for modern consumption. Alongside Passover, their debut, Indigo Meadow is truly a fabulous album to behold. The Black Angels have gotten even closer to a landscape that they can call their own. The lyrics to "Evil" and "Broken Soldier" place the listener directly on the streets of any war-zone in Iraq, or the eternal psychological damage of returning home, unable to explain the horror's. I haven't checked bios yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if one of them hadn't done soldier duty. Its that bare to the bone. If you're a rock snob, you'll find yourself picking out the many bands the Angels pick pocketed. The second listen will become a revelation of neo-modernist Psychedelic rock. The Black Angels may be grave robbers, but they do it in vast original style. My thumb is up and pointed upwards.