Carlton Melton – Out to Sea

Psychedelic jam band Carlton Melton’s latest cosmic voyage aims to open your mind, but you’ll first need to adjust your expectations. Most tracks surpass the 7 minute mark, churning over the same chord till each distorted wail or tom thud becomes as sure as a heartbeat. Melody’s out the window too, the Californian three-piece opting for free improvisation atop throbbing drones and simple riffs in place of memorable tunes.

They can be plenty tuneful though: Similarities is a blissful zephyr of chiming guitars that builds and repeats until it transcends its initial monotony, growing in beauty and intensity like an aerial shot of the countryside pulling further and further away. “If something’s boring after two minutes, try it for four,” says John Cage, and while Melton often lean on blunt repetition, their carefully sculpted dynamic contours and deft layering frequently makes for compulsive, enveloping listening. Just lay off the bedroom guitar god stuff please guys. [Andrew Gordon]