THE SUFIS

The Sufis

2012-11-19

If one didn't know that this was the 2012 debut from Nashville band, The Sufis, one might think it's straight out of the sixties. It was recorded with old analog equipment, including variable-speed tape machines, oscillators, and ring modulators, giving it a dated (but not in a bad way) sound. Rocking such novel instruments as tanpura, harpsichord, bansuri, and clarinet (besides bass, guitar, and drums), the quartet makes experimental psychedelic rock. One can't help but to compare this to early PInk Floyd (think Piper At the Gates of Dawn). This is all well and good, until you add all the reverb to the vocals ("Wake Up" and "I Don't Know"). Vocal reverb makes me cringe...it's a personal thing. I can appreciate that The Sufis is willing to take a risk by creating something you just don't hear in contemporary music any more. However, the debut release might be an acquired taste, perhaps as a novelty or for the person who still loves to pull out the old LPs and put on headphones for a trippy experience. Rebecca Ruth

Quick Links:

• The Sufis Facebook
• Ample Play Website