DRAGONTEARS (Tambourine Freak Machine) LP/CD
DRAGONTEARS' first album '2000 Micrograms From Home' found its day-glo niche in my halls of Psychedelia. 'Tambourine Freak Machine' which has been released by Bad Afro Records in 2008, follow up to that magnificent release, but this time the music has a slightly wider range with a stronger focus on folk and vintage electronica. The members of Baby Woodrose are still the core of this project, but this time they invited more guest musicians like Aron from On Trial or Manoj Ramdas from Spektr among others. The album contains some beautiful floating pieces of music filled with melancholic vibes and some heart warming moments, summoning up the same magical moments like its predecessor. 'The River' is a dreamy voyage with backward loops, that ebbs and flows around with Lorenzo Woodrose's characteristic vocals in the center.
Then there's the haunting 'The Freedom Seed', featuring Janine Neble from Alive With Worms, with electric guitars, and lots of lyseric effects. Listening to this song is like meditation, but it's also a strong anthem for freedom, that slowly develops and seems to turn and fold in on itself, beneath the repeated refrain. Wonderful! Another excellent track is a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War', a lonesome folky ballad that will drag you down into a world of sadness and anger. Once again Lorenzo's vocals are the cream of the crop here. This record could be described as "a trip" in the truest sense of the term, and hooks you by the root of your psyche and takes you on a liquid paisley ride until the last hypnotic tone of 'Dreamweaver 2'. Awesome!
(KK)