It starts with...a bell. The new album by Cool Ghouls, San Fransciscan psychedelic melodicists who have been on my radar for a while now. Back in 2017, I was deeply taken with their last full album Animal Races and particularly the title track, which was probably my favourite song of that particular year.
Since then I've followed their progress and appreciated the mini-album and live one that they've put out in the meantime. I was delighted to discover their new record, At George's Zoo this morning land in my lap unexpectedly and have been playing it more or less continually during the course of the day before writing this.
Cool Ghouls can be loosely banded with any number of current similarly oriented San Francisco and West Coast guitar bands with common, mostly Sixties influenced predilictions. Allah-Las, Mystic Braves and Holy Wave immediately come to mind. In terms of references, The Byrds definitely immediately top the list in this respect, particularly the mop-topped Byrds of Younger Than Yesterday. But the band also tap into that whole glorious dawn of wonder of '66 and '67. Moby Grape, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Beach Boys, Country Joe & The Fish, Buffalo Springfield and other starry eyed suspects.
I'm always a sucker for anything that jangles, and Cool Ghouls can certainly jangle with the very best of them. But I'm delighted to report that on At George's Zoo, they've cast their net wider than previously to delicious effect. This is the best thing they've ever done I'd say. Still very much Sixties oriented, but broader in scope than what has come before, encomapassing blue eyed Soul, Jazz and Country as it takes their fancy. It's a delighfully dappled and varied listen.
Their are fourteen songs on here, plus a live track, appended I imagine to indicate what the band feel to be their natural environment. There's nothing on here I don't care for and though I generally prefer albums to be slightly more concise, in At George's Zoo's case, I'm happy to make an exception. The album glows with positive energy, which let's face it, is very welcome at this moment in history.
Picking out highlights is quite unnecessary as here is a band that are well schooled in the art of pacing and scheduling albums as a journey for the listener. It's a thrill to hear their full on momentum on the pacier songs and how they can slow the mood down too to allow us to take a breather and reflect as required. They way they've supplemented songs with brass and soul touches and the way it all works so beautifully.
Anybody who has a passing acquantance with Notorious Byrds Brothers, Surrealistic Pillow, Buffalo Springfield Again, Moby Grape or Gilded Palace of Sin, or even, (on its more soulful moments), Dusty in Memphis, will readily recognise what's going on here. But we're fifty five years on from those records and Cool Ghouls certainly know their Television and their Paisley Underground too. This is a sound where reference points are inevitable and appropriate but retro though this is, it's never a mere retread.
I love this record pretty much unconditionally already and I've only known it for a few hours. I look forward to developing and deepening my relationship with it in the coming weeks and months. All creamy harmonies, ringing, freewheeling adventuring and reflective, starstruck wonder, At George's Zoo's punches the sky from starting gun to finishing tape. I very much doubt whether I'll here a finer record of its type this year. Cool Ghouls are positively in excelsis here and I have to say, it's incredibly infectious.
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