PSYCHEDELIC BREAKFAST
Deuce (Sonance Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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As the jam band scene splinters into scenes dominated variously by fusion, funk, country, reggae, prog rock and good ol' hippie rock n' roll, the very best of the bunch continue to be the bands that refuse to be limited in their sources or expression. Connecticut's Psychedelic Breakfast is a prime case in point. On their Sonance Records debut (they self-released an earlier disc in 2000), the quartet draws from all of the above at one time or another, and in the process creates one of the most distinctive sounds in a scene filled with soundalike bands.

It helps that they display an impressively strong level of musicianship. To be good enough to go wherever your muse leads you means being pretty damn good indeed, and these guys are damn good players, one and all. The rhythm section, drummer Adrian Tramontano and bassist Ron Spears, set a tight groove for keyboardist Jordan Giangreco and the extraordinary guitar work of Tim Palmieri. The almost extrasensory precision of the ensemble is amazing given their relative youth and brief history. They sound like they spent a decade woodshedding before hitting the studio, but have been together less than a quarter of that time.

They all take turns at songwriting chores, and while they sometimes drift into stereotypically "hippy dippy" poetic excess, it's forgivable in light of the solid melodies and impressive changes they construct as a base for their jams. Out for their first national tour on the heels of their SXSW showcase, Psychedelic Breakfast appears poised for a major breakthrough. Based on the music on Deuce, they deserve one.

Track List:

Tribal Funk Affliction * See The Light * LDZ * Phaddy Boom Baddy * Question Mark And The Mind * Beef Barley * Buquebus * What The Funk * Mooboos Voodoo (episode 2)

[Pick this up at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/psycbreakfast2.]

© 2002 - Shaun Dale