# Album Review: The Black Angels’ New LP ‘Indigo Meadow’

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2013/04/album-review-the-black-angels-new-lp-indigo-meadow/
- Published: 2013-04-05T15:15:16-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

[[
 _by J. Hubner_

As soon as those tribal drums start in, and that psycho-esque dissonance pipes up,
you pretty much know what you’re in for throughout the next 45 minutes or so. _Indigo
Meadow_ isn’t any great leap for **The Black Angels**. Did you like _Phosphene Dream_?
Well you’re probably going to like _Indigo Meadow_ just fine. All the hallmarks 
of a Black Angels album are here; BRMC posturing, Nuggets borrowing, cult-ish vibe
and dark psychedelia. Add just a touch of pop seasoning and you have yourself a 
plate full of goodies that aren’t good for you, but they taste pretty decent going
down.

“Indigo Meadow” starts things off like a Black Angels’ album should start; complete
with big drums, “evil”-sounding guitars, and **Alex Maas** singing “Lay your hands,
on my chest girl, you’ve been a problem since the moment I met ya”. It’s a sound
that’s permeated every album The Black Angels have put out since 2006. Nothing more,
nothing less. A noticeable difference is the production. It’s much cleaner and polished
than previous albums. This may be good or bad, depending on how you like your psychedelic
rock delivered to your ears. “Evil Things” goes a little more metal with an almost**
Black Sabbath** feel until the bridge when it stops momentarily for a quick ‘flower
power’ moment. Pretty soon the organ comes in and it sounds like **Tony Iommi** 
jamming with **The Doors**. “Don’t Play With Guns” is the biggest change in their
sound, with an almost pop feel to it and Maas sounding as if the spirit of **Black
Francis** took over his body for the recording. This song at times has a **Pixies**
sound to it, though I don’t think that was a conscious decision on The Black Angels
part. Just happenstance I suppose.

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A band that never seems to get mentioned as an influence on so many of these stoner/
space/psych rock outfits is The Doors. Maybe it’s just not cool to mention the ‘
Lizard King’ anymore, I don’t know, but listening to quite a few of these songs 
on _Indigo Meadow_ I’m reminded so much The Doors that I feel I must mention them.“
Holland” would’ve fit just fine on _Waiting For The Sun_, for example. And “Always
Maybe”? There’s an empty spot on _Strange Days_ where it could’ve sat. But The Doors
aren’t the only band I hear in the distant and gloomy echo of the _Fulltone Tape
Echo_ and the _Electro Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb_.

“Holland” – **The Black Angels** from _Indigo Meadow_

“Love Me Forever” sounds like a **Byrds** and **The Animals** collaboration until
the fuzzed-out riff comes in to remind us that these guys like things loud, too.
And there’s still plenty of **Strawberry Alarm Clock** and **13th Floor Elevators**
acid-tinged tracers, err, I mean traces. Closing track “Black Isn’t Black” is the
best of the lot. A doom and gloom dark blues psych monster of a track that -to my
ears- sounds like a band not wearing their influences on their sleeves, but a band
taking their influences and making something completely their own. Here’s hoping“
Black Isn’t Black” is the jumping off point next time around.

The Black Angels have taken their sound not a step up, but a good few steps forward
at least. The sound is brighter, but the haze lingers.

_6 out of 10_