The Black Angels reviewed
The Black Angels
Directions To See A Ghost
(Light In The Attic)
The Black Angels’ debut, Passover, got a free pass from critics who agreed its dark-alley psychedelia was more than the sum of its obvious influences. But trying to tap the same black-tarred vein doesn’t serve them quite as well on Directions To See A Ghost.
Appearing: June 20th at Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago.
The requisite pieces are in place: droning guitars, dejected drums, festering bass, Alex Maas’ Clinic-esque vocals. Opener “You On The Run” bleeds all the way through the 16-minute finale of this 11-song binge, never once pausing to check if it’s 6 a.m. or p.m. Unfortunately the overwhelming sonic impression is that of a buzzing amplifier powered on, but not in use. If we’re to take Passover as The Black Angels exploring a chosen idiom, Directions To See A Ghost isn’t much of a road map, leading them in a circle that ignores those dark corners that originally justified their existence. The pulsing withdrawal freakout of “Never/Ever” slices through the monotony with buzzsaw ferocity, though it’s ultimately only a faster version of what they already do, albeit abetted by 13th Floor Elevators’ electric jug.
— Steve Forstneger
