I will never understand it when I see people make the claim that any style of today is in any sort of downward slope or coming off a peak that won’t be topped for a long time. How can one think that? The digital age has enabled so much talent and wonder to be brought into the world more so than ever before, and to think we’re in anything short of a golden age in every style is something that I just cannot wrap my brain around. There are those out there that would dare make the claim that the world of psychedelic rock has peaked recently, and, thus, is in a “destined decline” of sorts. I spit at such notions! There is always grandeur to be found with there always being more than any one of us can consume at one time with there always being a new name to discover who can and will impress. As if to answer the call for that very phenomenon, Desert Wave’s return can oftentimes feel downright biblical.
The real wonder of psychedelic rock for me comes from the simple fact that it’s so damned varied that you can pick up five albums from the genre only to find yourself faced with five wildly different creations that all have their own personalities, influences, and cues, but it’s each and every one of them that deliver glory in their own particular way. In the case of Desert Wave, their clear students of the more desert-oriented side of the style with the seven tracks of “Deafening Silence” more than living up to any and all expectations that one might have when discovering that. As dreamy and expansive as it is layered and flavorful, this is an album that is more than worthy of attention by the greater scene at large. Pulling from all different corners of the kingdom of psychedelic rock, “Deafening Silence” quickly establishes itself as an experience that demands to be heard by those who want to find themselves lost in a vibrant sandstorm of color that is as all-consuming and hypnotic as one might expect from the most spectacular supernova. Pieced together by seven testaments in “less is more” and the power of the riff, Desert Wave proves itself to be an up-and-coming name that has a clear understanding of its craft to a fascinating degree while simultaneously a name that’s made for casual fans and those looking for even just a little bit more.
From the beginning, it should be obvious to purveyors in the world of psychedelia that this album won’t deliver anything that can shake the foundations of the style itself, but it is in every way that this is a creation that demands attention, respect, and adoration. Desert Wave is still a relatively new and unknown name in the underground, but given what has been accomplished here that won’t stay the case for long! “Deafening Silence” is massive even in its smallest moments with the future unclear but undeniably bright so long as the mystifying smoke of Desert Wave doesn’t dissipate.
LISTEN to “Deafening Silence” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Desert Wave on Facebook here.
Head-Banger Reviews 