On Sons of Hippies' new EP, Fade to White, the Bradenton band explores abstract themes of love, drugs and the cosmos against their seething brand of psyche-electro rock. Singer/guitarist Katherine Kelly purrs the first few verses of opening track "Dark Daisies" before her voice rises in an echoing cry — "We get highhhhhhhhhh!!!!" — and unleashes the song's fuzzed-out riffs and thundering rhythmic foundation. Kelly's femme-sneering soprano cuts through Fade to White's hazy electro-rockin' distortion with mesmeric melodic clarity, her acid-dropping streams-of-consciousness carried on the muscular drumming of Jonas Canales, who also incorporates futuristic sounds and textures on synth. On the whole, the five-track EP manages to feel like an intense, full-length ride despite clocking in at just under 20 minutes. (Critics' rating: 4 out of 5 stars)
Grab your copy this Saturday night at the band's CD release show; Tampa prog rock threesome Auto!Automatic and Orlando Americana-pop outfit Lonesome City Travelers open.
Details: Sons of Hippies CD Release Party with Auto?Automatic?? and The Lonsome City Travelers, Sat., Dec. 17, 9 p.m. doors, New World Brewery, Ybor City, $8.
This article appears in Dec 15-21, 2011.
