Beach Head

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While 2008’s <i>Beach Head</i> may look like another four-song EP, the shortest tune here runs nearly ten minutes. “Thoughts Are Bells” gently kicks-off Sun Araw’s tone-drone journey with a shimmering splendor of chimes, underwater synthesizers, and atmospheric rainforest samples to keep things sounding tropical. Though Cameron Stallone’s individual sonic elements sound primary by themselves, here he steadily stacks them in layers upon layers, gathering sonic mass (à la Godspeed You Black Emperor! or Pocahaunted) to slowly build something that at its apex stands monolithic in size. “Horse Steppin’” is the creative jewel of <i>Beach Head’s</i> crown — with slow staggering dub-dappled drum mantras, grinding organ drones reminiscent of Spacemen 3, breaking crests of washed-out guitars and reverb-drenched vocal croons it plays like the otherworldly soundtrack to an intergalactic surf-film of alien wave shredders. “Beams” bobs at steady buoyancy with a semi-tribal thump supporting the hypnotic hum of heavily affected guitars (imagine Brightblack Morning Light getting weird in a teepee with Ariel Pink).

via Apple Music