The Anderson Council, those New Jersey purveyors of psychedelic flavored rock/pop, are back with The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, a spectacular new record, which just might be their best release yet. That’s high praise, considering their previous efforts, which include terrific albums such as Worlds Collide and Looking At The Stars, are top notch efforts in their own right. You can always count on an Anderson Council disc to deliver some of the best psychedelic rock and power pop inspired songs you’ll hear anywhere, and The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon delivers a dozen of them.
The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon kicks off with the fanciful “Tarot Toronto,” a guitar-driven number that, like many of the band’s songs, wears its 1960s influences proudly on its sleeve. That awesome opener is only the appetizer on a full menu of top notch tracks mixing psychedelia, pop and straight ahead rock. You’ll groove to tunes such as the sunshine pop of “Million Miles A Day,” the British rock infused “Times On Thames,” the sprightly “Messes Up My Mind,” and the modern rock sounds permeating “Sunday Afternoon.” There’s even a dash of country on the delightful “Untrained Eyes.”
Peter Horvath, the leader of The Anderson Council, co-wrote the songs on The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon with Michael Temkin and Dawn Eden Goldstein. Much of the songwriting work occurred over texts, emails and FaceTime during a three year period, from 2019 to 2021. The album also showcases the work of two new band members, drummer Scott Jones and guitarist Michael Potenza, who join lead vocalist/guitarist Horvath and bassist Simon Burke to form the group’s new lineup. The Anderson Council are outstanding musicians, and they all sound magnificent. The one and only Kurt Reil (of Grip Weeds fame) guest stars on percussion, keys and vocals, and helped Peter and the band with production on the record.
The album definitely showcases Horvath’s passion for late 1960’s pop and rock. If you love groups like The Beatles, The Zombies, The Creation and Pink Floyd, you’ll find much to enjoy on this record. As much as Horvath pays homage to these much beloved bands, he also puts his own unique spin on these songs, giving them a fresh and original sound. If there’s any justice in the music world these days, every song on The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon will be part of the soundtrack of your summer, or better yet, a permanent part of your personal playlist.
Check out the first single, the spiraling, energetic “Alone With You,” which is now available, as well as the rest of this fantastic album. The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon will be released May 19 on JEM Records. If you’re looking for a phantasmagorical set of songs that evokes the spirit of the late 1960s, with a touch of power pop and indie rock, then this disc is a must have. By the way, the band's moniker comes from the first names of blues artists Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Yep, the guys in Pink Floyd took the first names of those same artists to christen their band. You can check out the video for “Alone With You,” by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DMYw89-LHU, and for more on The Anderson Council, just head on over to https://www.jemrecordings.com/.
No comments:
Post a Comment