Directions to See a Ghost, the second album from psychedelic Texans The Black Angels clocks in at over 70 minutes which, in this modern iTunes driven society, is a very long time indeed. I only mention this because at times you really notice it. With some albums you don't even realise that they've just taken an hour or so of your life, but because of the incessant and repetitive nature of the music it just starts to drag. Although that is not to say that it isn't infectious and hypnotic as well. ‘Never/Ever' for instance takes a couple of minutes to get going but when it does you are propelled into a guitar-laden wall of sound with Clinic-esque vocals.The album begins with the brilliant 'You on the Run', which is what Black Rebel Motorcycle Club should've written for their second effort. It's a dark, brooding, devilish piece that sets the tone of the album perfectly. 'Doves' has stacks of reverb and lyrics such as "Open your mind, we need to fly" that may indicate one particular point of inspiration for the band and 'Science Killer' has one of those dark fuzzy hypnotic bass lines that'll give you nightmares if you let it fester in the depths of your mind.'Mission District' and '18 Years' though harbour that dragging problem as neither really do anything to stay long in the memory apart from a 30-second tension-releasing blowout in the middle of the former but once that's over, the following two minute outro falls a bit flat.However, the curiously named 'Deer-Ree-Shee' thankfully picks thing up a notch. Alex Maas's vocals are typically low in the mix, giving way to the drone machine and Sitar that were the staple diet of The Black Angels heroes The Velvet Underground. This is an influence that the band are all too happy to share, from taking the band name from one of their songs, to the artwork, to the clear presence in the sound. It is something you can't get away from and so Directions to see a Ghost loses some of that blues swagger and variety seen on debut Passover in the likes of ‘Better off Alone’ and ‘Bloodhounds on my Trail’.This album is a soundtrack for what goes on in all those dark and dirty rooms that are kept from view from all the liberal career-minded folk in the suburbs, a dirty little secret to keep from your wife. It's a late night album to completely zone out and lose yourself in and, at over 70 minutes, you'll have plenty of time to do just that.Links The Black Angels [myspace]