The Seers “Psych Out” (Cherry Red Records, 1990)

The roots of this British band date back to 1984, when they were then known as Rip Van Satan and The Earth Rats. It didn’t take long for the band to attract a solid fan base, but several years passed before a full-length album came into being. Track for track, “Psych Out” is a real dazzler. A fertile union of primal energy, an edgy attitude, and fierce hooks give the album all the proper credentials to make it a worthwhile listen.

Released either a few years too late or a few years too early, “Psych Out” proves to be something of the missing link between the sixties psychedelic garage rock revival of the eighties and the Brit Pop movement of the mid-nineties. Paying no mind to the fads and gimmicks of the era, The Seers seemingly operated in a stratosphere of their own, but still sounded like they existed in the present. Comprised of lead singer Spider McCallum, guitarist Leigh Wildman, guitarist and harmonica player Kat Day, bassist Jason Kidd, and drummer Age Blackmore, the band proposed a tight rapport that enabled them to sustain momentum and excitement throughout the album.

Toiling and roiling with minimal fuss, “Welcome To Dead Town,” “Wild Man,” and “Rub Me Out” show off the band’s affection for assertive and aggressive garage punk rockers, and the psychedelic-framed “Sun Is In The Sky” sparkles and swells to an exhilarating exposition of vibrant harmonies and positive imagery. The Seers continue to work their lysergic-laced hoodoo on the title cut of the album, which injects the chorus of Funkadelic’s “Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow” into a lethal brew of wobbly wah-wah guitars, hard hitting drumming and bending rhythms. Truly spellbinding, “Psych Out” blends thick as a brick soul grooves with acid rock jamming to alarming effects. The raspy and rugged “Lightning Strikes” and the soaring power pop jangle of “I’ll Fly Away” are other madly infectious songs included on the album.

Harsh yet highly melodic, “Psych Out” remains an enduring piece of music. 1992 saw the Seers issue their second and final album, “Peace Crazies,” which also punches in as a quality collection of songs. But if you ask me, “Psych Out” is the band’s crowning glory, and what a crowning glory it is.