White Manna – ‘ARC’ (2020)
The seventh studio album from California’s intrepid space navigators explores a more introspective mood. With songs ranging from under a minute to over ten, there’s a soothing somnambulant ebb and flow that begins with the title track’s throbbing pulse sampling the same deep (bong)waters as festival favourites like Hawkwind and Ozric Tentacles. Disembodied voices float through the purple haze, serpentining through propulsive percussion and ethereal guitar effects.
The playful electro bounce of ‘Mythic Salon’ could’ve waltzed its way through Giorgio Moroder’s Midnight Express soundtrack (or Can’s Soundtracks, too, for that matter!), and the punky garage sludge of ‘Zosser’ feels like it fell off a Fall album, but ten minutes of ‘Surfer Moron’ set the ship aright with its hallucinatory, repetitive jazzy (trumpet?) riff (the band continue to eschew musician credits) recalling Parker, Miles, or Coltrane on an extended trip though hyperspace.
The shorter psychedelic sorbets feel like meandering filler and could’ve used further development (or been dropped altogether) and the release may have worked better as an EP, but there’s enough here to recommend you drop in for a taste.
Jeff Penczak
White Manna – ‘ARC’ (Cardinal Fuzz | Centripetal Force, 2020)
Various Artists – ‘Stay Holy: Sonic Attack at Liverpool Psych Fest’ (2015)
