Mondo Drag – The Occultation Of Light (RidingEasy)

Genre: Psychedelic Rock

Mondo Drag’s move from Iowa to Oakland seems to have paid dividends, if The Occultation of Light is anything to go by. It’s a rich tapestry of interwoven grooves and vivid psychedelics, effortlessly cool yet with a clear focus which ensures it’s much more than an extended jam session.

Listen to songs like the hazy, sun-kissed Rising Omen or Dying Light and you’ll feel like you’re gently floating above the Sierra Nevada, never wanting to return to earth. Elsewhere, Mondo Drag adopt a heavier approach; the riffs on Out Of Sight kick hard, and are superbly embellished by Nolan Girard’s keyboard flourishes. Indeed, Girard lifts In Your Head (parts I and II) to lofty heights, combining spectacularly with guitarist Jake Sheley.

There’s certainly a warm glow to The Occultation of Light – perhaps the fact that it was recorded live, and tracked and mixed on analog tape – has something to do with it. But when you have talented songwriters that tap straight into psych’s raw essence, you’re on to a winner anyway.

Sit back and breathe it in…

RUSHONROCK RATED: 8/10 Lighting Up