San Franciscan 5-piece, LSD & The Search For God, have only released 2 records to date, but their debut, eponymous EP, from 2008, has just been reissued on vinyl, in a range of colours, corresponding to your favourite acid hit.* Based on both this information, and the band’s name, it’s a safe assumption that the vibe is psychedelic. 

Each of the tracks comes with its very own wall of space rock / shoegaze noise, and the key point of reference is My Bloody Valentine. Everything is covered with ringing see-sawing, tremolo’d guitar riffs, care of Chris Fifield and Andy Liszt. Lovesick, euphoric, a little of Creation Records, Lawrence / Felt in Liszt’s vocals, while Sophie Campbell’s are ethereal. Drummer Scott Eberhardt, cathartically, smashes, crash, bang, wallop, the shit out of his kit. Stuffed with squalling feedback solos, screaming 6-strings wigging out, the record rides wonky, Wurlitzer, bent, warped notes. Murky, marvellously muddled, and melodic, thrash. Churning, it’s kinda, super nicely, chaotic, while affectionally nodding toward an 80s / 90s indie-rock template. 

The reverb rich Starting Over has a sheer sheen like MBV covering The Cocteaus, where the glacial calm of the latter is waywardly Whammy-barred, and the band, electric, explode in unison, in an expertly exercised display of restraint and release. Unleashing burning bursts of buzzsaw guitar, wild, waling Wah-wah. The lead snaking and writhing like a juiced, cut power cable. 

I could pick favourites, but it’s so easy to surrender to the sound world of the set as a whole. My response, of course, could be rooted in nostalgia, a flashback to my musical youth, but the entire record is such a joyful rush. 

LSD & The Search For God can be ordered directly from Don Giovanni Records.

*Mine is a windowpane, which actually my second least favourite type of acid, topped only by a microdot.