WHEN SWEET SLEEP RETURNED

Like a big wave, thickened and rushed riffs break into our brain! The sounds smell fragrant like an elegant whisky, not irritating like pure alcohol.

What their brilliant goal or purpose of musical style is, I wonder. They play with splendid, magnified chorus with deep, drowsy, spacey rhythm section and dragged, multiplex guitars and keyboards - and yet pop and melodious flavour should not be lost at all. There is nothing specific to either pop nor space rock but exactly complex flavour like estery and smokey one of a well-matured whisky or wine. Their melody, tune, or tempo is slow, thick, heavy but slender, that reminds us stoner progressive rock (but not metallic). Their chorus is, I feel, like early YES or THE BEACH BOYS, so consequently not only graceful and elegant, but also of deeply trailed atmosphere. Bulldozed and hypnotic repetition of warm sounds can be called exactly as the mixture of an opposition to another.

Two Stage Rocket has theremin sounds by Anderson like an ascending air stream, drifting guitar solo, and steady drum sounds with relax. They can drive psychedelia with leaving some of friendly tune here. Easy to groove to the song - feel wonderful. In Two Birds all vocals can perform perfectly in their chorus with each other, as in the fourth track The Slumbering Ones. Remind us fresh air and cool water - very comfortable but rigidly with heavy and spacey riffs and floating atmosphere by synthesizers. This song is the longest in this album but should not force its length as the other songs be...it's natural and smooth for us listeners. The next song Drunken Leaves is, as the title says, drunken and vertiginous space rock. Around it are heavy noises leadin' to our heartache and palpitation - these achy stuffs cannot exist in pure heavy rock songs. Sticky and slimy repetition by all instruments should outweigh catchy flavour but the pop spice should make us relaxed in the outer ground. Kolob Canyon is a song with real canyon's magnificence, by terrific chorus and strict guitars; we can be struck with the grandeur. Furthermore, here is nothing affected - natural and smooth, as well. A heavy-folk-flavoured song, By The Ripping Green, has more stoner kickin' than other songs. Dreamy dream comes from the laidback guitar solo. As well voice solo can be widely spread. On the contrary, noisy psychedelia with massive attacks by guitars and drums is Clive And The Lyre. Even though here are some repetitions with simple and flat riffs, why can we bubble as such? In the last song End Under Down the flute solo is very graceful and plaintive - heavy guitars or percussion following that should have the same taste. All will get downturn and finished I imagine? But their psychedelic trip will never end?

This album let us feel obscurely cool. Wink.

Movies about time travel are abundant, yet we all know that a time travel machine doesn't exist. Or does it? If one listens to bands such as Astra, Diagonal, Future Kings Of England and the likes, one gets the impression that time travelling might be responsible for the uncanny precise sound-alike nature of the sound of these bands. Not only do they play in the same vein of past psychedelic rock bands from the late 60s' and the 70s', but they sound just like them. I mean, it sounds like a vintage recording, as if a long-lost recording has been unveiled and brought to light of day to grace us all and get its deserved recognition. Such is the case with the wonderful lush sound of Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound and their two albums so far. The NY based psychedelic and stoner-rock/metal focused label, Tee Pee, has released both albums by the band.

With their 2009 release, When Sweet Sleep Returned, the band goes on with their wonderful rich psychedelic sounding rock, their vocal harmonies, and their mix of Beach Boys, Pink Floyd and krautrock-like freak-out sessions and guitar soloing. This San Francisco based band brings back to life, or rather carries on the spirit of an era, a movement, and a sound and style that I personally adore and am addicted to. They do no succumb to lengthy (and often pointless) noodling and over-done jamming. Instead, it is done in a concise form, where relative short songs are performed, vocals echoing well mixed in the sound and not in the front, with the whole messy and raw sounding (but very much appealing) full blown sound. Their succinct song crafting style, making relative to the point pieces is a good idea for those who tire from long and unending jams. Though I would have loved for several songs to go on. The music is quite fast on average, there's not much dynamics as it stays pretty much at the same intensity levels and tempo throughout each song (and overall) and those are highly energetic. It might sound all too same-y to a casual listener, but repeated listening will reveal what each song holds. For instance, The Slumbering Ones, being a slower than usual song, has a haunting harmonic vocal line and a beautiful underlying melody supporting it, with fantastic keyboard treatment; whereas, Two Stage Rocket, is a more straightforward rapid mind-wobbling piece. I have great time listening to this album; its cheerful spirit and upbeat sound is most welcome as is its captivating atmosphere.