HERE BE MONSTERS

I guess only Buckethead beats Motorpsycho in output. Nominally there was an unusual for them two-year break between their last and the latest, but that time was filled with original material live albums and fan memorabilia. Over the years, Motorpsycho has done all the styles conceivable, from grunge to symphonic pop and country, but mostly has been stuck in retro heavy rock mode for the last decade or so. Well, Here Be Monsters is a laid-back, melancholic side of Motorpsycho, with ample vintage synth backing and just one rocker among the five proper tracks - I.M.S., a common kind of song for them, a psychedelic rocker with ringing lead guitar lines and a monster groove. Lacuna/Sunrise and instrumental Running with Scissors are soft-jazzy and folky (the first one reminded me of a similarly styled sad Beardfish numbers of the Comfort Zone album). Big Black Dog is another type of song that Motorpsycho does often, which starts softly and has a long droning break in the middle that serves its purpose to evoke long windy Norwegian winters, but the song to my ears lacks a decent hook or groove.