San Francisco messy psych pop/garage pop awesomeness: THE MALLARD. Sounding like JENNIFER GENTLE’s little sister band at times(that is no insult my friends!!), and at others a bit like THEE OH SEES, this gang knows how to write a pop song, and then after that how to mess with it just so. Many different ideas swirl around in this batch of mallard stew. Choruses come in the form of squawks. Plenty of tape and pedal effects some and go, showing up where? No one knows. They jangle. They blast your brain momentarily unsettling shards of noise. And it is all wonderful, and direct, and I must say, pretty damn great. A new album YES ON BLOOD has appeared on CASTLE FACE RECORDS. It is full of the aforementioned sonic ideas! There’s even a song called “Iggy Pop” which is nice. On “Mansions” we get a nice chunka post-60’s jangle pop. The bass keeps things moving(and does so throughout the proceedings), while the singer yelps pleasingly. The whole thing drops into some kind of early Pink Floyd meets punk breakdown before going back into the verse/chorus, and it just slays. “Ants” throws some synth in our face off the bat, as the lazy guitar and drums kick in and get you swaying. And sway you will to the gently soaring vocals and droning vibe. Get to our coast will ya? Can people please tap more deeply into what this gang has going on, 60s songwriting steez meets everything else that came after it in the underground? A really sweet record right here. And not too be forgotten, very sweet cover art as well.

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