Description

Although L.A. Witch hail from Los Angeles, they do not partake in any sort of witchcraft. Yet their ability to conjure a specific time and place through their sound does suggest a kind of magic. On their eponymous debut album, L.A. Witchs reverbdrenched guitar jangle and sultry vocals conjure the analogue sound of a collectors prized 45 from some short-lived footnote cult band. The melodies forgo the bubblegum pop for a druggy haze that straddles the line between seedy glory and ominous balladry; the production cant afford Phil Spectors wall of sound but the instruments simple beauty provides an economic grace that renders studio trickery unnecessary; the lyrics seem more descendent of Johnny Cashs first person morality tales than the vacuous empty gestures of pre-fab pop bands. This isnt music for the masses; its music for miscreants, burnouts, down-andout dreamers and obsessive historians.

Album opener Kill My Baby Tonight is the perfect introduction to the bands marriage of 60s girls-in-the-garage charm and David Lynchs surreal exposés of Southern Californias underbelly. Sade Sanchezs black velvet vocals disguise the malicious intent of this murder ballad, with the thumping pulse of bassist Irita Pai, the slow burn build of drummer Ellie English and Sanchezs desert guitar twang helping beguile the listener into becoming a willing accomplice to the narrators crimes.

Brian follows the opening track with a similarly graceful, if not somewhat ominous, slow-mo take on a well-worn jukebox 7. Its a vibe that permeates the entire album, from the early psychedelic hue of 13th Floor Elevators on tracks like You Love Nothing, through the motorik beat and fuzzed-out licks of Drive Your Car, to the grittier permutation of Mazzy Stars sleepy beauty on Baby In Blue Jeans.

LP pressed on translucent pink vinyl with digital download coupon.