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DOLORES – Peach Fuzz
(2015 Self-Release)
Stream and download the album here
Local indie-psych rockers Dolores have risen with a bullet since releasing their debut EP Nektar Fields in 2014, hitting the local stages and nabbing opening slots for Pond and other regional touring acts. The fruit obsession continues with Peach Fuzz, a nine-song recording that puts every popular trend in music into the blender to produce a smoothie of delectable, melodic and very well executed tunes. Everything about Peach Fuzz screams summer and hey, I got your Feel-Good Summer of 2015 record right here!
To get some idea of just how eclectic these guys are check out “Next Stop,” a six-minute excursion that veers dangerously close to Phish territory with its opening premise but then tails off into a Ray Manzarek-inspired keyboard section before completely psyching out in the final refrain like a star going supernova.
Dolores’s calling card is certainly the keyboard skills of Adam Thein but there are so many other elements that have them at the top of the Most-Likely-to-Succeed list. The rhythm section just knows how to groove and Willie Christianson’s bass lines are intoxicating. Guitarist and vocalist Javi Reyes exudes personality onstage and on tape, bringing a bit of endearing lunacy to the group. Check “Man at the Market” an ode to “just trying to get by.” Don’t let the pop song tendencies fool you, this song is a freak ride with Thein’s Farfisa-like voicing being blown away by space-wind white noise a la Hawkwind while Christianson and drummer Teddy Mathews bubble along like the Beach Boys on acid. All the while Reyes is singing about some man who sees what he sees what he sees and hands him off a peach so, now what does he do?
“Oh No” is a really cool track, soaked in keyboard washes. Here Christianson’s bass is central and mesmerizing. Reyes sings in his high register while synths swirl around him. It’s Joy Division meets Animal Collective and will keep you grooving ‘til the leaves fall. “Think You Know” mines somewhat similar territory but comes on like a spacey soul tune. There’s a really cool instrumental break in this one that further highlights Thein’s talents.
The band have their heavier moments like the penultimate “Messin’,” which breezes along like a Dead tune until the guitars crank in. Just when you think they are going to go over the top, Thein destroys it with blasts of synth distortion. They follow that with the show-tune “Time,” a ukulele and some knee slaps being the only instrumentation. The album tails off into a reverb-soaked fadeout like spores drifting through the nothingness.
There’s an easy-going detachment that happens on record for Dolores, one that gets elevated in performance, infused with energy and urgency. They are simultaneously able to achieve futuristic music with retro tendencies. Peach Fuzz is a great record. Buy it now, light it up and get happy. Then get off your butt and see this band live before they join PHOX on the next level.
