The Lucid Dream – Songs Of Lies And Deceit

Carlisle’s The Lucid Dream formed way back in 2008, giving their long-awaited debut album plenty to live up to. Songs Of Lies And Deceit gives a home to two sold out 7” singles (‘Love In My Veins’ and ‘Heartbreak Girl’) as well as a heck of a lot more songs of tinnitus-tempting jangling guitars smothered in delicious reverb. Confrontational, yes, but thankfully the time the Cumbria lads took to create it was also well spent – it’s amongst the best psychedelic rock trips of 2013.

With jagged guitars echoing like there’s no tomorrow, gushes of white noise and forever oscillating bass lines everywhere, The Lucid Dream’s arrival is a high akin to soaring through a void. Distorted vocals are another constant, being a major highlight in opener ‘How’s Your Low When You’re Low Alone?’ – a six minute frenzy that’s followed by ‘Glue’s display of appreciation towards Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh – fixing you into a paralytic state of nirvana.

That aforementioned pair of singles along with ‘In Your Eyes’ show a much more garage-rock based side to the Northern quartet. There’s a clear 60s guitar-driven influence from the likes of The Rolling Stones and The 13th Floor Elevators on show, to an Indian-styled sound evident in ‘Heading For The Waves’ with ringing guitars that can’t help but recall The Beatles. Obvious touch points, sure – but faultless ones too, as is this more up-to-date source of inspiration; as you reach the climactic three songs, it’s as if Reni from The Stone Roses has sat down behind the drums, rhythms being delivered with a new power and soul. Here, Luke Anderson attacks the skins frantically, combining with some hazy vocal hooks to make a truly fantastic piece of psychedelia in ‘A Mind At Ease Is A Mind At Play’.

Just before you slip away into the depths of your brain, you conclude there’s not a lot more you could as for from such a record than to end of a nine minute frenzy of clattering cymbals and intense reverb like the hugely enjoyable ride of ‘Sweet Hold On Me’. Songs Of Lies And Deceit is another intense, fierily psychedelic album from a decade which, so far, has been blessed with a generous helping of funky trips.