Man versus machine, technology against nature… the cover of this 10-track concept album maybe sums this up (more…)

The Owsley Sunshine : Watermelon
Christ, where do I start ? Yeah, their name suggests a 60s psyche vibe. Their name I had came across frequently on the jockrock message board. They claimed a lot of things, but so do most bands. Still, the name stuck in my head.
It was the 60s acid reference I guess.
So, I finally get to hear them. Well, they say good things come to those who wait. It is the third album from this prolific band. 18 songs culled from a 35 song list. I can?t think of many bands who would keep interest with such an ambitious amount of songs. They are a melting pot of a band.
A range of influences right from the Cavern Club to the Isle of Wight then beyond shine through. Prolific yes, but the songs don?t feel like they have been rattled off. There is nothing half arsed about this collection.
A look on their myspace account has the Super Furry Animals topping the list of bands that they like. Like SFA they dip in and out of many styles effortlessly. Wearing influences on their sleeves for one, or even a part of a song then moving on. Till The Morning Brings my Train is sublime mid sixties pop. Welcome To Your Life, which the whole album seems to build up
to, could have been released any decade in the last 40 years. Could be as much punk as it is prog. Sharp riffs and energy combine with melody and sudden direction changes to deliver a song that is a microcosm of the album itself. I am almost ashamed that this band have slipped through my half interested fingers so many times. At least I have found them now. If you are in the slightest bit curious then satisfy that curiosity now. (Jimmy Kilminster)