After the untimely break-up of beloved antler-clad freak jammers Racoo-oo-oon, members Ryan Garbes and Shawn Reed reformed as the psych/drone duo Wet Hair. They’ve released a steady torrent of rad tapes and a 12″ through Reed’s own Night People, and are now rolling out the first full-length Dream, their darkest and possibly most rewarding effort to date.
Last year’s The Beach cassette fit snugly into the surge of tropical-themed tape jams embraced by many including labelmate Sun Araw, making our winter experience a lot more bearable. However it seems like Dream is a product of the band’s split personality, a restless night crawler looking for its fix. Maintaining a trance groove, the duo plows through 4 tracks of subterranean lounge music full of industrial spurts, turbulent drones, and apocalyptic fascinations (vinyl liner notes even playfully assert the album was recorded in December 2012).
Album opener “Cult Electric Annihilation” is a particularly good example of how they’ve matured since their first release. Anchored by a kinetic upbeat swing that evokes Mice Parade’s Adam Pierce, it’s topped with glacial synths and squelched chanting, rendering one of Wet Hair’s most vibrant atmospheres ever.
These guys have plans for a massive east coast tour this summer with Zola Jesus. So if they’re coming to your neck of the woods and you know a good venue, drop them a line. Visit their myspace for list of dates and locations.
Dream is available now on cd through Release the Bats, and on vinyl through Not Not Fun.
MP3 :::
Wet Hair – Cult Electric Annihilation
