I recently came across this album the other night while browsing Apple Music, and I really dug the album artwork so I figured I’d give it a listen tonight. There’s not a whole bunch of information that I can find from a quick search on the internet, other than the band was possibly from the east coast of the U.S. and that they were some sort of psychedelic rock band. The group only released this one self-titled album, which wasn’t necessarily well-received, though fans of the genre have been unearthing this obscure album periodically throughout the years and sharing their enthusiasm for it on the internet. I’m pretty excited to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to go ahead and jump on into the music.
“Knowing That I Loved You So” starts out with some really gentle electric guitar that begins stirring the soundscape with a really pleasant melody, which is soon joined by some inviting background chorus vocals and simple drum beat on the congas. Oh wow, this tune is super sweet. Oh wow, I’m not sure if what I’m hearing is a keyboard or a light horn of some sort that comes in for some quick accentuations, but whatever it is, it’s super interesting. Super sweet track, and I’m excited to hear the rest of the album.
“Easy Virtue Blues” has a really groovy pop bluesy feel that’s set to the march of the drums with the simple keyboard lines reminiscent of John Lennon and The Beatles seems to gradually walk to the tune forward. Oh wow, the piano gets to play a really pleasant melody alongside a really smooth bass line. While the piano seems to walk the tune forward, the bass seems to be bopping the soundscape along as well. There’s some really delicate electric guitar that seems to lightly drip into the soundscape at the end of the tune. Really sweet tune.
Oh wow, “Tomorrow Waits for Today” starts out with a veritable sweetness that seems to be some sort of soundscape recorded from a paradisiacal land of sorts, with the super pleasant descending piano melody lightly raining down from above, while the smooth bass line and the lifting presence of the organs combine for a nearly ominous warmth that seems to invite you further into the soundscape. Great track.
Oh wow, “Just Like the Snow” starts out with a very pure sounding acoustic guitar, backed by a low droning bass after a moment. Oh wow, this tune is super interesting. Between the melody and instrumentation of the flute and acoustic guitar, the song nearly sounds as if it was pulled out of time from somewhere in western Europe circa 1400. The light plucks of the strings almost have a mandolin-like sound, and indeed might be the product of a mandolin. Oh wow, I really dig this tune. The style seems vaguely medieval and vaguely baroque at the same time. The vocal harmony also seems to have a certain purity in the simple structure and repetitions as the song continues. The low droning bass really has a nice flavor throughout the track as well. Great tune.
Holy smokes, “Bird” seems like that baroque/medieval sort of folksy sound from the sound was sent through some sort of mad scientist’s psychedelic-rock-ifying machine, and the result is a strange and intriguing conglomeration of flavors from music seemingly lost in time. Holy smokes, the tune just turned into some sort of jazz groove out of nowhere, almost like the band is sending you through different time periods of existence. Holy smokes, the swing in the drums is infectious, with the quick bebop bass line moving the tune along at a nearly increasing pace, all while the piano plays a super groovy piano solo really all combine to form an increasingly interesting and even more flavorful tune. Holy smokes, now there’s a horn in the soundscape that seems to be taking the lead to some extent with a sort of bluesy jazz line. I keep turning this song up, wow. Holy smokes, the tune lands back at the psychedelic rock intro lost in time from the beginning of the track incredibly well. Wow, this is sweet. Holy smokes, awesome track.
“Hello” has a really infectious sound with a bit of quick child-like message from the band to the listener. Super sweet short interlude sort of track.
Oh wow, “While You’re Away” seems to sound even more melodious than I remember the initially tunes being, as this tune seems to be starting to verge on a psychedelic pop sound of sorts. Oh wow, the organs and vocals combine for some super sweet lines in this quick tune. Great track.
Oh wow, “Peace in My Mind” feels like it could have been the start of an early track by The Doors with the swirls of the organs seemingly raining in from above, while the guitar seems to hit some flavorful yet strange notes, while the soundscape itself seems to have a bit of a dark underbelly that feels a bit Morrison-esque at times. Oh wow, there’s a super sweet horn that comes on and provides a bit of warmth in this track, seemingly as a sound of reassurance while this tune sets a bit of an introspective mood. Wow, great track.
“Just a Band” has a really interesting vocal line to introduce an incredibly bluegrass interlude tune, almost as a palate cleanser of sorts. Super sweet.
Oh wow, “Friday Morning” has a really interesting sound that has a bit bluesy psychedelic garage rock sort of feel to it, while still combining a few of the strange elements that I normally default to associating with The Doors. In fact, the soundscape reminds me a bit The Blues Magoos with some flavorings of The Doors at first. Oh wow, the tune changes up to a really uplifting sound after the first movement, which soon turns into a bit of a march of sorts that seems to encourage the listener to some extent on this journey that is this album. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Dawn Comes Slow” comes on with a super sweet soundscape with the tasty r&b sounding beat to the sweet harmonies between the lead vocals, background vocals, and acoustic guitar, all while the bass guitar seems to bubble up some smooth notes from underneath the soundscape. Oh wow, the recorder in this tune really brings about a sensation of innocence within the pleasant soundscape. Super sweet tune.
“Ain’t Gonna Be Nobody to Sing the Blues” starts out with a bit of fiddle and what sounds like a recording from a bar, with a-hootin’ and a-hollerin’ to boot, giving a really groovy and happy sort of bluegrass sounding tune as the other instruments like guitars and some different tambourines and claps come on for percussion, as well as other instruments that seem to get lost in the sea of sound from the bar-like tune. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Circus in the Sea” starts out with a whimsical circus sound that naturally morphs into a strange organ line and smooth clean guitar line, which really evoke a sensation and style reminiscent of Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors. Holy smokes, I really dig this tune. The steady beat of the drums and that smooth bass seem to combine for a really groovy rhythm section, with each providing more oomf to the other on the beat. Oh wow, the sound effects at the end of the tune remind me a lot of something like “Yellow Submarine” or just about anything from Sgt. Pepper’s by The Beatles. Wow, great tune and a great way to tie together this album.
Wow, this album was super intriguing. It could just be my imagination, as there’s not much information about the band online, but I would venture to guess that the group was fond of both The Doors and The Beatles, as I felt like I was able to pick out familiar elements from their respective styles throughout the album, but there was a distinct twist that Federal Duck gave to the songs in terms of arrangement and fusion of genres. At times, it felt as though I could have been listening to a street performance in western Europe circa 1400 or 1700, and then suddenly was listening to some psychedelic rock and roll and then some blues inflected jazz of the era that the album is from. I think I’d like to own this album on vinyl if possible, so I’ll be looking into that shortly. If you enjoy albums that take you on journeys across vast amounts of time in musical history, while incorporating psychedelic pop and psychedelic rock flavors of timeless groups like The Beatles and The Doors, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A