L.A. trio Triptides has done their damnedest to embody the sound of classic West Coast psychedelia for over a decade, culminating in last year’s acid punk opus Alter Echoes. After that frenzied display, the only way to go was toward softer, more overtly melodic sounds – deep into Laurel Canyon, in other words. So Many Days, the band’s ninth album, leans on acoustic and 12-string guitars, vocal harmonies and rootsy tunes that find a midway point between early Poco and the folk rocking side of Big Star. Performed with conviction and dedication to the tune, tracks like “Happily Hopeless,” “If You See My Girl” and “Highway Sun” sound timeless, just as much like the rustic indie rock of the past decade as the original wave of pre-Eagles country rockers. The group kicks up a little dust on “Blow Away,” “Revelation Blues” and the wonderfully fuzzy “Going Wrong,” with tastefully deployed electric guitars and fripperies like sitar, proving their connection to rock & roll stays firm minus any macho posturing. Ultimately Triptides is a band about songs, and the strong performance thereof, and So Many Days shows them to be masters at it.
