The Gris Gris For The Season

[Birdman; 2005]

Rating: 4/5

Styles: classic psychedelic revivalism
Others: The Rolling Stones, Make Up, Clinic, The Velvet Underground


The Gris Gris' second album, For The Season, confirms that they are here to do one thing, and do it well. Moment-to-moment, it's nearly indistinguishable from their debut; swap any song from one album to the next and you'd never know the difference. But, taken as a whole, their newest is decidedly stronger. They continue with their dark, shambling, lo-fi, black-magic psychedelia, but whereas much of their previous work had either sounded like direct covers or noisy filler, they've gained a great deal of control over their sound for this one. The result is much more confident, cohesive, and even broader in scope: the doo-wop number "Medication #4" and the clarinet- and mandolin-tinged, French-folk "Mademoiselle of the Morning" come as wonderful surprises; "Cuerpos Haran Amor Extrano" and "Big Engine Nazi Kid Daydream" are two of their best songs; the freakout of "Year Zero" demonstrates their skill in merging noise and melody; and the epic closer "For The Season," string section and all, inspires faith in the true talent these guys possess. This stuff is not to be missed. Now if I could only figure out why they keep talking about rayguns.

1. Ecks Em Eye
2. Peregrine Downstream
3. Cuerpos Haran Amor Extrano
4. Down with Jesus
5. Big Engine Nazi Kid Daydream
6. Year Zero
7. The Non-Stop Tape
8. Medication #4
9. Skin Mass Cat
10. Pick Up Your Raygun
11. Mademoiselle of the Morning
12. For the Season