Landing - Complekt (These Are Not Records)

Listening to the stunning opening track on Landing’s new tenth album reminds me why I love music so much. It is tracks such as “Light” that underscore just how good psychedelia can be when it’s done this well. It sends my ears on a cosmic journey, and I am never the same afterward. This music stays with me long after I hear it, beckoning me to return over and over. “Light” reminds me a lot of the lost German band Malory, who disappeared from the scene back in 2010. But moving on, we have the hard charging title track surging at you and bludgeoning you with its raw beauty, feedback drenched guitars warring with heavenly vocal layers. This is a band that knows its power and how to render it effectively, which explains how the instrumental “Weft” can be so enchanting in its effervescence. Frothy synths tumble over trippy guitar lines. And while the delectable “Shifts” starts off with ominous synth lines, it soon morphs into total bliss out with Adrienne Snow’s airy vocal turns. The icy cool start to the song warms up as it progresses, not easy to carry off with synthesizers in the fold.

“Thither” ventures further into deep space, with gently pulsating synths and sunny organ washes. Then guitar and vocals join the ride and the song really takes off, with swooningly beautiful passages to lull the listener into total nirvana. “Grow” is a ten minute space opus that is full of shimmering beauty. It slides by so effortlessly at the hands of these skilled tunesmiths, reprising some of the musical ideas from other songs. When Adrienne starts singing, the song is elevated to yet another level. Wonderful! “Clouds II” is equally effective, and the vocals are in the forefront of the mix. “World” is the album’s final song, and it’s a beauty. This truly is music for floating away forever into the clouds, an infinite journey with Complekt as the perfect soundtrack. Highly recommended!

Head on over to Landing’s Bandcamp page to pick up the album and catch up with them over on Facebook