I can’t really say I know anything about Autosalvage, other that this record was both their first and final record. I know they were formed in New York in the latter half of the 1960s, and that they were acquainted with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention to some degree, as well as the genre they played was some form of psychedelic blues rock and roll. With that said, I’m pretty excited to give them a listen.
“Auto Salvage” has a gentle, almost folk storytelling start to it that quickly evolves into some sort of psychedelic dream. Wow, I really dig the layers to this one. The guitar(s) and bass really play off of each other well. Wow, that rhythm guitar is super interesting to listen to – it has me completely entranced. The lead guitar really has some sweet jams and gets some groovy licks in during this tune. I’m really digging this group already. The vocals have an almost milky feeling to them with the timbre and tonality. This is some great psychedelic rock and roll if I’ve ever heard it. The drums really keep the song tracking around itself, if that even makes sense – really awesome. The rhythm guitar has an almost galloping, waltz feel to it, that I can hear in the drums when I pay attention at certain parts. I really dig the melodic hook to this one – it can almost feel kind of like surf rock at times. This song has so many different parts to it, I’m super excited for the rest of the album.
“Burglar Song” starts out with sweet reversed chimes (that’s my best guess at the moment). Wow, this one has a very bluesy sensibility about it, though it’s not necessarily blues rock. This one is really neat, it’s almost meandering about itself in its instrumentation. I’m also getting a sort of European folk vibe from it a bit.
Oh wow, that transition to “Rampant Generalities” is super sick. Then the song completely changes up on itself. The vocals evoke a very psychedelic dream-like state. I really dig the acoustic layer behind all of the electricity in the track. Wow, all these instruments complement one another so well. I can’t believe this group never made another album – this one is superb so far. There’s a certain psychedelic sweetness to this one that makes the song both strange and inviting at the same time.
“Medley: Our Life as We Lived It / Good Morning Blues” starts out with some more reverse effects, and jumps into some electric instrumentation soon after. It’s almost like they’re sending you further down the rabbit hole with each track. Wow, this one is a great psychedelic bluesy jam so far. These guitar licks are extremely tasty, and nothing feels repeated so far into the song – it remains fresh at every unexpected turn the tune seems to take. Holy smokes, this jam just dropped into somewhat of a structured song with some vocals, and it feels like its resolving a bunch of built up tension from the jam – absolutely delicious. Wow, the way these licks build off of each other is awesome. The bass is super tasty, you can hear the interplay between that and at least one of the guitars – incredible. The drums really have a feeling like they’re driving the track forward while moving about the soundscape in a somewhat circular fashion.
“Ancestral Wants” seems to be somewhat of an acoustic track, and that’s a definite sound switch up while continuing with the same psychedelic blues folk rock vibe that the band has created with the previous songs. The way some of the acoustic chords ring out is really pleasing to my ears. Wow, the song did something weird where it sounded like the music was fading out, but it’s slowly been building up volume since that happened alongside some sweet acoustic jams. That part was sick, it had me listening super closely to the track, even more enticed than I may have been without it. Some of these chords have such a resolute feeling – really awesome to hear.
“A Hundred Days” starts very quickly with an almost droning sound that the band quickly starts to play a giant psychedelic melody over. I can’t tell what instrument I’m hearing at a couple points – possibly a harmonica or woodwind instrument of some sort – and it’s super slick. I dig the background vocals to this one when they come on, as they give the track an even greater feeling of depth. I really dig the jamming of some instruments over the droning of others. I’m almost reminded of The Jesus and Mary Chain at a couple points with the way the vocals and acoustic guitar sound laid out in the soundscape.
“Land of Their Dreams” has another reverse intro, that is followed by some super interesting psychedelic melodies that can send the listener even further down the rabbit hole. Wow, these vocals really have a great little reverb to them – and the singer’s voice is super smooth. The orchestral string portions really add such a unique layer to the composition. I’m really digging all these guitar parts too, I should add. I can never tell where they’re going next. Great song.
“Parahighway” starts out with a lonely sounding solo electric guitar that is eventually joined by the rest of the band. There’s almost a raga rock sound to the guitars in this one. This one can get quite chaotic sounding at times, but it feels like that chaos eventually resolves itself eventually. Super sick to hear. I really dig the vocals in this one a lot, they almost contrast the instrumentation at several points but always seem to meet up eventually.
“Medley: The Great Brain Robbery / Glimpses of the Next World’s World” sounds like it starts out with some studio chatter, that quickly evolves into a super sick psychedelic jam that makes great use of distortion and wah-wah pedals. Oh dang, that tempo switch up is really interesting to hear. This one feels like a train slowly picking up momentum, but not necessarily speed, while rolling down the line – almost like the jam becomes weightier over time. Oh wow, that guitar is super tasty. I really dig the vibe in this track a lot – it sounds like quite an epic conclusion to the album with a jam that keeps on giving past any expectations that one might have built up. Wow, things almost slow down in a somewhat jazzy way near the end, and the song really picks that weight back up super well. Wow, the song crescendos at the end super well, leaving a concluded feeling, yet a desire to hear more from the band.
This album and group are awesome. I really wish they had more albums for me to check out, but only having this one almost leaves the band and its music somewhat mysterious to me. Either way, if you enjoy psychedelic rock, this one is worth checking out. I’m super glad I was afforded the chance to listen to this one tonight. I hope that if you listen to it, you enjoy it at least as much as I did.