I don’t quite remember how exactly I happened upon this album, but I’m sure it was in a suggestion from Apple Music shown under an album I listened to recently. The album artwork was itself enough for me to want to listen to it, so I added it to my queue. I’d never heard of Chamaeleon Church until seeing this album, so I did a quick google search to find some information about them. The Boston area psychedelic rock band split up in 1968 after releasing one album, having only been together since 1967. This group is another one associated with the Bosstown sound realm, so I’m pretty stoked to give this one a listen. With that I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Come Into Your Life” has a very inviting sound to it at the very beginning as the band gently carries you through some sort of psychedelic meadow, beckoning you further out into their soundscape. Oh wow, this sounds awesome. The band sort of breaks through to a different realm at different moments in the song that’s even more inviting than the one first introduced to you. Really interesting introduction to this album, and leaving me excited for more.
“Camilla Is Changing” has a really soft approach to it, especially from the vocals. The soundscape is super interesting, as the right speaker is definitely coming through the most in the mix. I really dig the soft, velvety vocals really starting off the song, with the drums gently airing out the soundscape behind them. Oh wow, the mix has shifted around and now certain elements are clearer than others, all while bringing more things through the left speaker. I really like the innocent sound of both the bass and the song as a whole. The guitar almost sort of gently gallops through the middle of the soundscape. Definitely a really nice tune.
“Spring This Year” has some incredibly clear and tasty acoustic guitar right away in the left speaker. Wow, the clarity of the different instruments in this one so far compared to the previous track is really awesome, as all of it seems deliberate. There’s definitely a strangeness to this one, as there’s some sort of keyboard or harmonica playing something that sounds reminiscent of an Irish folk melodic line. I’m really digging the guitars in this one, both the clean electric and the deep, earthy acoustic create a really nice juxtaposition in sound together. Oh wow, this one gets incredibly strange as it almost sounds like something you’d hear from some sort of strange pier-side carnival from afar. Oh wow, the bass does a lot of very subtle and nice work from underneath, giving the tune a feeling like it’s propped up on something. Super intriguing song.
“Blueberry Pie” has a really interesting sound to it with the effects from the guitars. I really dig the mix of the vocals in this one, especially with the background vocals meandering from one side to another while melting into the soundscape. The harpsichord gives a really intriguing sound to this one, almost giving off some sort of medieval psychedelic carnival at times. The lead vocals have a wonderful laid back feeling to them, which brings a certain assuredness to the track. Pretty sweet tune.
“Remembering’s All I Can Do” has a really nice feel to it, like the band is gently carrying you down some sort of musical stream. Oh wow, the piano work is definitely subtle, but some super delicious notes get added here and there. There’s also some sort of violin part to this, and I think I heard a horn part too. Oh wow, the tune is super pleasant to listen to, I just want to lay back and close my eyes as I listen to this one. Oh wow, the vocals are brought to different heights from the violin (?) part.
“Flowers In The Field” opens up with what sounds to be some sort of recording of children playing, almost played from next to a stream. There’s a really nice bop-iness to this one that is furthers the song along with simple, pleasant bass lines, and some super interesting harpsichord playing, which almost reminds me of something John Lennon might play. Oh wow, the background vocals sound extradimensional, and the horn at the end is super pleasing to listen to.
Oh wow, “Here’e A Song” really keeps the album rolling along, and almost sounds like some sort of pleasant psychedelic parlor song. Oh wow, this one is super short, but it’s a tune I absolutely got lost in. Extremely pleasant listen.
“In A Kindly Way” starts out really interestingly with some reversed percussion of some sort, and some shimmering guitar work that sort of outline the path that the lead singer beckons you further down. There’s definitely a very personal feeling from the vocals, as they sound incredibly close to the ear in this current soundscape. There’s a really sweet jangliness to this one between the guitar work and the reversed percussion. Definitely a groovy little tune.
“Tompkins Square Park” has an almost melancholic feel between the low chords from the acoustic guitar, the light accentuated notes on the piano, and the vocals that sound like something that could be played during a brisk foggy night in the streets of an old city. I really dig the flute, which is really adding a certain mystical element to this one. There’s a really nice guitar part on the opposite side of the chords from the rhythm acoustic guitar that sound like they’re outlining the chords being played throughout the song. It’s definitely a really interesting mystical sounding tune.
“Picking Up The Pieces” is extremely interesting to me right away, as there’s a certain layer of distortion on top of basically all of the instruments and even the vocals. I’m really digging the distorted vibe in this one, as it sounds like everything rolls together amongst that light layer of distortion. Oh wow, the drums and lead guitar get into a really groovy jam as the song fades out.
“Off With The Old” is incredibly clear compared to the previous track, which definitely is an interesting way to build up tension and expectations and then take them in a different direction, and is a method of creating some sort of psychedelic sound that I haven’t really encountered before. This tune is super raga-influenced. It sounds like there might even be a sitar playing alongside the acoustic guitar. The light taps of the drums really ties the sound together well. Oh wow, there’s some groovy sound coming through my speakers right now. Oh wow, this tune picks up a light layer of distortion as the song continues, and nearly gets chaotic at times before resolving back to some clarity. There were some jangling tambourine hits or chimes as well that really add a circling feel to the soundscape as they traveled from side to side. It really feels like a great song to tie up a lot of elements encountered throughout the element.
“Ready, Eddie?” starts out with studio chatter, followed by some really pleasant jazz-like piano lines that really add to the overall sweetness of the album. This is definitely some really sweet piano playing that really serve as a nice exit for the album. I believe this version I’m listening to has two bonus tracks, this being the first of them.
“Your Golden Love” is a super tasty bluesy psychedelic groove song from what I can tell in the intro. Oh wow, the piano really gets in there and grooves quite well with that easy-going bass line that keeps slow walking down the neck. Oh wow, this feels like a bit of a ballad of sorts, with some super groovy semi-psychedelia to it. The end to this one is super tasty as things come to a sort of bluesy jazz-like peak right as it fades out. Definitely a really groovy tune.
This album was incredibly interesting to listen to, and definitely did some things that I can’t remember ever hearing in psychedelic music. This one is definitely different compared to other psychedelic rock albums from the Boston area at the time of its release, and is incredibly pleasant to listen to. I really got lost in the music at a couple points in the album. If you enjoy psychedelic music from the 60s, you might want to consider checking this one out. There are some different musical ideas in this one from what I can remember hearing that definitely bring a certain uniqueness to it. If you do decide to give this one a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A