Cave - Neverendless (CD, Vinyl LP)

Cave are SO good. They've been scorching the earth with their searing kraut psych jams for a few years now and I'm still yet to hear anything of theirs that hasn't kicked my arse. In fact after listening to this I'm painfully aware that I need to fill in the gaps while their earlier records are still available. On this album we've got five tracks in 40 minutes and it's everything I want it to be. Tight, pounding drums and bass holding down neanderthal, insistent riffs while the guitars ebb and flow over the top, whipping up a storm of psychedelic noise that few bands can compete with. Business Lady just pointed out to me that there's certain points that sound more than a little reminiscent of a couple of Leeds's finer bands, Bilge Pump and Quack Quack. 'Adam Roberts' certainly has a Turpin-esque drum groove that wouldn't be out of place on a 'Pump track and a synth line that seems almost to reference Quack Quack. One thing I like about these guys is that they're super focused, you don't keep finding yourself in drifty improv passages waiting for the next riff to come along like with certain other bands of the drug rock persuasion. There's always a sense of momentum even in the more reflective passages, with ethereal guitar drones draped lazily over muscular and repetitive bass and drums. It's heavy and it's psychedelic but what I like best here is the positive and celebratory feel that these songs exude. They always sound like they're having the time of their lives; like there's nothing they enjoy more than being locked into a mind-melting groove with their bong rock buddies. Leeds's current golden boys Hookworms have moments of that rocked up astral abandon on their recent cassette too, and Causa Sui have that vibe in their finer moments but I think this is a more consistent disc than that combo's two recent (and still very much rocking) slabs. For my money these guys are the best instrumental psych band around right now; I defy you to listen to this record and not get sucked into the monstrous grooves and taken somewhere extraordinary.