Hello. Would like you like to lick the sunbeams inside your mind? Or perhaps you would enjoy a ride on the rainbow of love? It's raining flowers, and we must gather them and fashion boats to cross the Crystal Lake. The golden boombox is blasting its beautiful beats again, pumping 1,000,000 watts of joy into the ears of the dancing children.
Such is All Night Radio's debut offering, Spirit Stereo Frequency: a quirky, psychedelic slice of dream pop delight. As a whole, the album is almost nothing new. You've more than likely heard everything it has to offer before, and probably done better, too. But there are certain things that, no matter how many times you experience them, never get old. And among those things are blissed-out psychedelic sounds.
In fact, almost every song on Spirit Stereo Frequency wouldn't be too terribly out of place sitting in either volumes of the Nuggets boxed sets (albeit having updated electronics). These songs have got it all: vocals dubbed over and over again, liquid guitar riffs drenched in effects, insistent organs hugging the choruses, and the drums buried in the back, as if they were looking over the fence onto this whole wonderful party.
And then it's all over as quickly as it started. You're not left wanting more, but you're not left feeling cheated either. Rather, you're satisfied because you just had a nice little trip, but didn't ask yourself why you left in the first place. Granted, the trip can get a tad boring at times, but the feelings that you leave with makes up for it. It's a nice little album that isn't anything spectacular, but it should tide you over until something comes along and really blows your mind. And when that happens, I'll be wishing that I hadn't used up all of my insane imagery in the beginning of this review. But then again, I could always listen to Spirit Stereo Frequency and come up with some more.
1. Daylight `Til Dawn
2. We're on Our Wave
3. Fall Down 7
4. You'll Be on Your Own
5. Sky Bicycle (You've Been Ringing)
6. Oh, When?
7. Sad K
8. Anchovya Suite
9. Winter Light
10. All Night Radio