MASTER SLEEPS

Sweden's Hills play a kind of heavy psychedelia that sounds pretty similar at times to the San Francisco outfit Wooden Shjips. However, that is not criticism. With a slightly more progressive edge, Hills brand of cosmic trip-rock proves both innovative and exhilarating, switching between fuzz-toned, retro epics('Rise Again') and more modern-sounding, Eastern-tinged efforts('Bring Me Sand') whilst never losing sight of their powerful psych-drenched mantra. Sometimes 'Master Sleeps' errs towards the heavier side of things, though unlike much of the so-called psychedelic groups of the 21s century, they pointedly eschew the roaring guitars and white noise squalls that can be so distracting. Not unlike finding Dungen's more refined soundscapes crossed with the mesmerizing dronery of New York's White Hills - 'Master Sleeps' is a truly mystical experience filled with trippy sound effects, chiming guitars and ethereal moments of blissed-out calm that nicely compliments the album's harder sections. Unlike many of today's unimaginative psych-rock purveyors, Hills seem to be the real deal. We await their next release with genuine anticipation.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012