Prowling Retro Psychedelic Rock
If the idea of epic, theatrical 60's style rock appeals to you, then it might be well worth putting some Laguna Meth on your stereo soon. It's a surprise to learn that Laguna Meth aka Michael Laguna has little musical history as the well produced and engaging shoegaze record has the sound of an industry professional taking a break from his day job and meandering into psychedelica. In any case, it's definitely a recommended path with some very funky and interesting tunes to choose from on this album. Opener, 'Nuclear Snowcone' matches hysterical vocal sighs with brooding guitars and some growling riffs that almost hit a metal hardness at the most dramatic moment.
'Mickey Maüs' has a supreme punk riff with a chorus whose falsetto shrieks of "wooh" are almost on a T-Rex level. It's the kind of record that you'd play to your friends, who would give you a disdainful look and ask, "What's this?" but only because they were secretly impressed by the mix of frivolity and musical cool. 'Lucifer O', one of the longest and craziest tracks on the album even admits the retro influence kicking off with the lyric, "It's 1976, I still can't get a fix", the percussion is brash and clattering while the tune is slick and based on swirling grooves; imagine a cutting and sharper American version of Jesus and Mary Chain and you might be halfway there. The gloriously pop falsetto vocals of, 'Everybody Loves Acid On A Sunday Morning' are great fun with bubbling piano in the background.
Michael Laguna's history, like that of many musicians, includes a period of drug use, but while many artists have produced the dense, foggy kind of rock known as "stoner rock", Laguna's tunes are complex but focused and have a clear melody. The eponymous, 'Laguna Meth' for example is a meandering maze of crystalline guitar sounds, but with a taut melody. There are some gorgeous more drawn out tunes like, 'Children Of The Garden Unicorn', with its sighing vocals, fluttering violins and trippy guitars. 'Laguna The Puma' is a thoroughly entertaining album that holds your interest from start to finish, what more could you ask for?