All Night Radio - Spirit Stereo Frequency

Dave Scher and Jimi Hey, the two neo-hippies behind All Night Radio, have played together in other groups, like Beachwood Sparks. With the release of Spirit Stereo Frequency, it's apparent that they wanted to further their psychedelic experiments. Some of these songs sound like the perfect soundtrack to super 8 home movies from the 70s about summer road trips and beach bonfires. The massive amount of layered instrumentation draws you deeper into All Night Radio’s bizarre world the more you listen. From the sitar-like riff of “You’ll Be On Your Own” to the jangling pop gem of a closer “All Night Radio,” all of the elements are here: reverb, delayed and echoed vocals and guitars, strumming keys, and syncopated drums. I would hesitate to call this record a throwback effort because although all of the factors of 70s psychedelic pop are present, the record does convey a feeling of being current. I don’t see too many imitators dong this type of sound as effectively or sounding as accomplished as All Night Radio does on Spirit Stereo Frequency. I can’t say that I will listen to this repeatedly, but if you find yourself in the right mood, listen to this the whole way through. You might be transported to All Night Radio’s far away galaxy. [www.flyingradiobats.com]