Sky Cries Mary - 2022 - Wandering in the Vastness

(62:31; Trail Records)

Track list:
1. Crystal Gazing 3:19
2. L Train 5:15
3. Red Red Fox 5:33
4. Can't Find the Time (Foolish) 5:00
5. Chaos at the Port 7:02
6. Bright Biggest Eye 4:32
7. The Dolmen 2:52
8. Jodo 1:35
9. Bridge Sleepers 3:52
10. Raga Metal Machine 7:23
11. A Lonely Deer 5:46
12. Dream Yourself to Sleep 10:22

Line-up:
Roderick Wolgamott - vocals
Ben Ireland - keyboards, guitars, bass, percussion, drones, synthesizers, Mellotron, drums
Jack Endino - guitars, e-bow, drums, programming
Kevin Whitworth - guitars, bass, organ, synthesizers, percussion
Curt Eckman - bass, synthesizers
Debra Reese - vocals, synthesizers, flute, percussion


Prolusion.
US band Sky Cries Mary have been a going entity for close to 40 years by now, and as such have earned themselves a description as a veteran band at this point. Due to two ,long breaks as a recording unit the band's discography isn't as massive as other bands that have a history of a similar length though, and perhaps due to that the band is not quite as well known as they presumably should be at this point. "Wandering in the Vastness" is the band's eighth studio album, and was released through US label Trail Records at the start of 2022.

Analysis.
Sky Cries Mary is a band that for me stands rather firmly in a psychedelic tradition as far as the general style of music is concerned. They may well include facets and details from other types of music as well, but the foundation and core of the band is one that revolves around psychedelic elements. Like many other bands they do venture out from their foundations a bit though, and my impression is that style as such isn't all that important for the band. But for the purposes of this review, the overall context here is a psychedelic one.

This album kicks off with quite the energy boost of a song, with a steady pumping bass and rhythms that creates a drive and momentum with guitars, keyboards and vocals fleshing out the arrangements. Good old Hawkwind used to create quite a few songs with a similar drive using pretty much the same elements, but in this case Sky Cries Mary manages to accomplish this without sounding all that similar to that band, which is quite an achievement I think. And for me at least this opening cut is also the clear highlight of this album, a case of a very impressive opening track for sure.

Throughout this album we do have a few more of these tight psychedelic and/or space tinged creations, as well as some cuts that hone in more of an alternative rock orientation altogether while the psychedelic elements are toned down or more or less left out. Some work better than others in this department, to how much of a degree will here as in so many other cases be a matter of subjective taste. But not all of these will be of interest to a more progressive rock oriented audience, that is a matter of fact.

The more interesting aspects of this album for many will be the creations that have a stronger focus on the psychedelic landscapes of course, and songs of that nature do dominate the playtime of this album. These songs will typically be slower paced affairs, dominated by a dreamladen mood and atmosphere, with layers of subtle instrument details forming floating and searching landscapes with something of an otherworldly feel to them. To a lesser or greater degree of course, some with more grounding than others. The most impressive ones for me personally came towards the end of the album, and are called 'Raga Metal Machine' and 'Dream Yourself to Sleep' respectively. Both of them revolve around drones, are open, loose and hypnotic affairs with circulating motions and reverbs. One using raga elements and the other perhaps a bit more sacral or tribal in orientation and expression. They are also two sides of the same coin as far as I'm concerned, and both should be treasured items in a playlist made by those who tend to love psychedelic material of this kind of open, loose and searching repetitive nature.

Conclusion.
Sky Cries Mary has a long history as creators and explorers of psychedelic landscapes as well as the realms beyond these, and both of these universes are explored on this latest album of theirs. The psychedelic oriented ventures dominates though, and while my personal pick on this production is one of their more energetic numbers the audience that is catered for first and foremost here are those with an interest in loose, dremladen and open psychedelic explorations with a vast array of subtle sounds and effects used throughout. Those who treasure bands exploring such landscapes as well as existing fans of Sky Cries Mary can safely note down this album as one to explore.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, February 2022

Links:
https://www.skycriesmary.band/
http://www.trailrecords.us/