It was hard to know exactly what I was in for heading into the first listen of Almost Honest’s Seiches and Sirens, a full-length album from a band dubbed a “Viking groove machine”, hailing from Pennsylvania, but such as it was I was still surprised by what this record had in store. While the album starts off with the furious drums and chunky riffs of ‘Fools Gold Flesh’ it’s rather a lackluster start to a record and in the interest of transparency, I wasn’t sure where this was going to go. However to my delight, the album progresses in such an unexpected yet undeniably enjoyable fashion it was soon clear there was nothing to worry about, I was in good hands.
The album is structured in such a way that the first two tracks serve only to warm you up before the band unleashes their unique brand of psychedelic, mythologically inspired lyrics underpinned by a level of self-awareness and obvious joy of making music. As I worked my way further through the album I found myself having more fun with it as the band loosened up and eventually threw all seriousness out of the cosmic window with tracks such as ‘Dancing Shaman and the Psychedelic Cactus’. An incredibly fun track and one of the highlights of the entire record. Telling of a bizarre psychedelic, mythological apocalypse. The more I listened the more I grew to love this oddball of an album, an album so unapologetic in its themes that it is to be admired.
Commonly drawing comparisons to Mastodon in terms of scope and range it’s with tracks like ‘Jenny Greenteeth’ where Almost Honest fully let loose the groove machine having cranked it up to maximum levels, a track dripping with their own sound. Whale Bones’ is another heavyweight track that deserves attention, led by a funky bassline that’s a challenge not to nod along with, scorching guitar licks follow and intersect with the bass as the vocals almost take a side step to allow for an instrumental showcase.
Ultimately you can’t head into this record and expect to know what to find, it’s a journey you need to take yourself, follow the groove and discover for yourself about this bands mission to bring sexy, groove and funk rock to a world that didn’t know it needed it. Seiches and Sirens is due for release March 22nd 2019 via Electric Talon Records.
