The Night Collectors: Voice of the Cicada (Single Review)

Released in: 1 May 2014

Genre: Desert Rock/Wilderness Rock

Record Label: Self-release

Medium: Digital download, Cassette

Recorded at: Unknown

Voice of the Cicada was Do You Even Psychedelic?'s single of the month a while back, and with good reason too. I've pretty much played this record to death, and I'm still not bored of it. Spanning a whole cassette, Voice of the Cicada was released as a sort of LP in its own right, and currently holds a considerable amount of my cerebral focus.

Spanning 15:11, Voice of the Cicada is a hearty offering of raw desert instrumentation, born from the dusty plains of the Arizonan Sunbelt. Lead guitarist, Connor Gallagher, delivers a piercing guitar performance, laden with gingerly chosen delay, fuzz, etc. immediately giving structure to the thudding, tribal beat of the percussion section. Greasy, wild saxophone also accompanies the guitar work, giving a free jazz element to the tracks persona, and evoking the work of fellow Tuscon-based band, the Myrrors (see Romana Parra). The bass work is heavy, and creates an up-and-down, waving beat which the percussion section hazily follows. From this symbiotic energy which the bass and drums create comes a fusillade of drones and chants, some reminiscent of tribal expression, and some evocative of the eponymous Cicada's voice.

As the track progresses, the tempo of the song gradually increases, and so does the instrumentation with it. The guitar sections become more overdriven, starting to align themselves more and more with the aforementioned Cicada. Wailing vibrato bends litter the crescendo beat at 7:00, conjuring up imagery of the savage desert winds, and transforming the song's structural being into a sonic lather. 

This energy keeps building, increasing the tension of the song, and the guitar section becomes more and more violent (pure bliss for anyone who is really looking to dig an effects-soaked guitar played well tastefully for a change). The beat dissipates, and the track slows down, at around 10:00. It is at this point we hear a recording of an actual cicada, closing the song in genuine dust-driven noise. A genuine reminder of the power of vibrations.  

The track is currently up for 'Name Your Price' on Bandcamp, so make sure to head over and get a copy now, and support these guys. Link here. The band also keeps home-made cassette copies of the song, so if you are ever available to hit up one of their gigs..make sure you do! (Facebook page with all events on here).

It also worth mentioning that the band recently did a live recording for radio of the song, which is a slightly different version, so if you are hardcore, check it out here. 

Review written by Daniel Sharman.

Happy Trails: John Cipollina's Guitar Rig + Technique Analysis - Introduction (Editorial)

Anyone who has ever listened to the early Quicksilver Messenger Service album's will know the amazing effect and power of the late and great John Cipollina's guitar work. The man was a psychedelic powerhouse when it came to grappling with his instrument, and surely went onto inspire generations of fledgling rock guitarists. Recently, Cipollina's birthday came to pass and it has prompted me to celebrate the occasion with the beginning of a rig rundown of this man's influential sound, and an analysis of his playing technique. This will be a series that runs over the course of several weeks and will hopefully keep you engaged throughout. The first chapter will detail his guitars, the second his amps, ect, ect. Michio Kurihara, whom is often cited as sounding like a spiritual successor to Cippolina in technique and feeling, claims that the guitarist's work with QMS was filled with 'Eroticism and lustre' - a very apt description of Cipollina's incredibly expressive musical ability.