Chicago’s Secret Colours burst on the scene in August 2010 with their self-titled debut, a raucous collection of ’60s-influenced psych-rock that drew comparisons to The Black Angels and Brian Jonestown Massacre. The band continued onward with an impressive number of releases, including several singles (like their cover of The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows”) and the impressive EP 3. Along the way, they honed their chops by sharing bills with psych journeymen like Elephant Stone, The Warlocks, and Asteroid #4.
Since last January, the band has been in the studio with producer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine), working on their sophomore album. While the foursome focused primarily on “sharpening the edges”, they also developed a more pronounced interest in shoegaze and early ’90s Britpop. The result of that slow, methodical pace and musical infusion is Peach, due out tomorrow (May 28th).
The 13-track album is an exhilarating merger of psych-rock’s expansive soundscapes, the fuzzy dissonance of shoegaze, and Britpop’s disjointed emotionality. “Me” sees the band take an air of slacker-dom and bury it under mounds of distortion and pounding drums. “Legends Of Love” is a cantankerous beast of tripped-out guitars, but frontman Tommy Evans’ Britpop-ian croon shines brightest. “Euphoric Collisions” may be the most balanced effort, an accessible blend of wailing guitars and hazy vocals that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking.
