BARRACUDA

In 2001, Norway's never-stopping heavy and psychedelic prog stalwarts Motorpsycho released two albums - the quirky, but lush Americana pop of Phanerothyme, and this, the intentionally raw- sounding, retro-styled Barracuda. Titles and misnomers such as Heartbreaker and Up 'gainst the Wall led me to believe this is some late 50s tribute, but there are originals - horn-section fueled rock'n'rollers (the blistering, screaming Heartbreaker and the irresistible ZZ Top-like Star Star Star), heavy blues (Glow) and psychedelic pop rock (Dr. Hoffman's Bicycle) numbers. It is a sound of guys having too much beer to drink and rocking it out with abandon. Or maybe whisky, as evidenced by their Whisky and Rock'n'Roll number from 2014's similarly-styled (but slightly less frenetic) EP The Motorpnakotic Manuscripts.