Serpent Power - Electric Looneyland (2017)

The psychedelic sounds of Serpent Power are the combined efforts of the Coral's Ian Skelly and Paul Molloy, who used to play guitar for the Zutons as well. The two fellow musical travelers bonded over their love of haunting and weird psychedelic pop and decided to turn their interest into something more tangible. Their self-titled first album from 2015 was a swirling, whirling delight, with the two crafting something that could have been released in 1967 by a band with a name like the Fluorescent Gumdrop Trolley, but with a more modern, powerful approach. It worked so well for the pair that they decided to continue, and 2017's Electric Looneyland is a nice step forward. The album has all the hooky splendor of their debut along with a more focused sonic approach and a few more vintage keys sprinkled into the already overstuffed arrangements. The keys don't battle the winding guitars, the echoing drums, or the billowing vocal harmonies; they fit right in like a velvet glove. Like the first album, the result sounds a lot like a more retro-leaning Coral or a weirder Zutons. It also sounds like fairly brilliant modern psych-pop, with songs that sound instantly familiar and oddly timeless -- in other words, like the best psych-pop around in 2017. Tracks like the synth-heavy "The Colour of Out of Space" show Temples the right way to integrate keys into the psych stew; "Jekyll & Hyde" is tighter and catchier than anything a Burger band could hope for; "In Her Mind I Am Me" is garage rock revivalism of the highest order; and "Gates of Heaven" is like a master class on acid funk, one that Tame Impala should study closely. Skelly and Molloy may see Serpent Power as something of a lark judging by the album title and the wacky album artwork; fans of psychedelic music might see it another way. They might see Serpent Power and Electric Looneyland as the pinnacle of the garage-psych-pop scene in 2017. There are many who are working the same side of the street; there aren't many working it with the same high level of control, imagination, and skill as these guys.