"We Ask You To Ride" by Wooden Shjips
It isn't that hard to make music that sounds hallucinatory, but it's hard to do it as well as the San Francisco quartet Wooden Shjips, who fall on the more compact, song-oriented side of neo-psychedelia. On the band's self-titled debut LP, tracks like "We Ask You To Ride" and "Losin' Time" combine tight, minimalist drum patterns; deep, echoing vocals; wobbly organ; and sheets of loud, feedback-heavy guitar. The heavy vibe recalls The Stooges, while the rhythmic sparseness and drone recalls Joy Division, and the mystic vibe recalls Brightblack Morning Light. That's the problem with a stripped-down style: It tends to sound derivative. Still, Wooden Shjips play with a refreshing skill and sheen, working toward a particular mood of enervated threat.
A.V. Club Rating: B-
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