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The Alison Effect (CD)
Camera Obscura Records are pleased to announce the release of the fifth full-length CD from shadowy Houston psych project Dunlavy, home recording project of former Mike Gunner Scott Grimm. On "The Alison Effect", Dunlavy is basically a duo, with Scott now joined by another ex-Gunner John Cramer, who contributes guitar and vocals throughout. The combination of their guitar keyboard and vocal sounds, along with much more experience in composition and recording, make these recordings the logical extension of what The Mike Gunn were doing towards the end of their time together. The 18 minute instrumental "Woe Be To Croton" exists in the grand tradition of psych-progressive crossovers; its distinctly 1969 zeitgeist announced by hypnotic acoustic guitar and keyboard incantations, including some key acoustic guitar slide work. The central section of the track is show-stopping; floating vocal wraiths circling distant instrumentation for a journey into Popol Vuh realms. Ultimately, it all gets crunched into powder by the bone-shattering desert rock riff-frenzy of the concluding section. The remaining four tracks mine aren't quit as epic but they are no less effective. "Rob Walks In" is great driving Texas psychedelia in a tradition that goes right back to the International Artists days, and gives the guys an opportunity to lay down some killer vocals. "Sassy" is well-described, a spinning holograph of sound defining what makes the Eastern-influenced psychedelic surf instrumental one of the great musical ideas of the last 40 years. After the brief instrumental vignette of "Lacerating", "Better Than Sleep" returns to long-form territory - it's an apocalyptic vision of the nuclear destruction of Austin that came to Scott in a dream after a nightmarish Mike Gunn gig in that town.
Limited availability - ships immediately
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