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Music to Get Lost In - This is the overall feel and concept of most of San Pedro's Vision's music offerings. Choosing a genre of psychedelic / progressive rock, the band, from Liverpool have focused on honing-in on their talents and strengths to enable them to create otherworldly soundscapes and music journeys. Their upcoming EP, Subconscious Reflection, is their cumulative effort at creating just that. They will be releasing the three song EP mid-November and I was happy to get a listen to the EP and share my thoughts having eagerly anticipated something… anything from the band after their last EP. Being a big psych rock lover I was excited and enthused to check it out.
The EP’s three songs are titled The Nerve Centre, Subconscious and Reflection, all hinting at a possible music journey into your own mind. What better time to escape reality and getting lost in this type of music? Self-isolation, places shutting down and the governments so called prevention tactics. It’s all too much. I press play….
The intro to The Nerve Centre sounds just like how you’d hear it represented in some 60s sci-fi show perhaps. A great use of synth to simulate nerves firing up and working, the drum; your own heartbeat. A great intro, one that piques your interest and invites you to hear more. As the song progresses through bars and segments of multi-tempo instrumentals you get the impression the band are used to working together as if one unit. Calm, yet powerful, female vocals full of reverb provided by front-woman Alannah, then take us through the mid-part of the song, not detracting from the calm feel, but adding to it. At the six-minute mark the band break the song down, giving the track another feel; isolation maybe and then you are greeted by a familiar voice – an apt sound-clip from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. A genius addition as it cites the track title as well as the feel of what you are listening to, a magical, otherworldly and maybe frightening journey into the unknown. An amazing guitar performance then takes us the rest of the way accompanied by great sounding synth, bass and drums. As the song wraps up the effects are doubled up and laid on before coming to a stop.
Subconscious up next. Again, the band lay on heavily a prominent synth sound, but well-fitting the guitar-work, bass and drums. Not so much of a wait until the introduction of the vocals. The well-sung vocals could here represent your own subconscious, a sultry singing style takes us through the verse before repeating “Now’s the time for change” a technique to ensure the lyrics hang about in your own subconscious long after finishing the song. All through the instrumental breaks I am floored by the guitar skill with it’s somewhat raw and unpredictable style and yet still sounding amazing and clean. Thrown into the chaos that is the guitar solo is the drums and bass which compliment it well. The ending comes about all of a sudden then taking you into the next quickly…
The final song from the EP, and longest at ten minutes, Reflection, offers up another tone given off by their use of prominent bass and a church organ sound from the start. The slow organ chord changes contrasted by the fast drumbeat is something unusual but work great together. The sultry female vocals again take us through the song, giving off waves of calm and serene feels. This song serves to showcase the leads vocal range as she sings her way through the notes. The organ accompaniment gives me goosebumps which have goosebumps on them when the guitar work, which has previously been phenomenal, but is somewhat and somehow elevated to another level in this track. A bass-break is offered up just after the mid-point breaking up the song before the amazing guitar, bass and drums kicks in again with organ synth making waves, adding to the overall sound before fading out.
In the end, what I found out is the EP is a journey. I felt as I were on Willy Wonka’s magical boat ride right into my own self. I know that sounds weird, but while listening, sat back and closed my eyes and felt the song. I did get lost in the songs which felt great. The tracks are meant to be listened to like this, not on your commute or the like, but in the calm of your own bubble feeling the calm and really listening to it. Psych / Progressive rock at its best should be a trippy journey with multi-layered meanings and concepts and San Pedro’s Vision have knocked it out of the park and given this in spades. The musicianship on offer from all involved ensures the tracks sound professional and great to listen to. While it’s easy to compare to psych rock giants such as Pink Floyd, in truth, the band are something totally different; it’s as if they’ve taken the feel-good serenity and love from Floyd and left the angst emotion to one side creating something totally special and powerful. Give the Subconscious Reflection a listen when its released mid-November.
Follow the band at the below social links to keep updated of when they drop the EP, news, even more reviews and gigs when they come about:
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/san_vision