Skimming Stones

Ceduna
The Sand Pebbles
Sensory Projects, 2008
3.5 stars

It's hardly an original idea - to be honest, it's kind of a 'rite of passage' for any psychadelic band - but heading out into the wilderness with a bunch of guitars and a pile of drugs has actually resulted in a decent album for the Sand Pebbles. This brand of pub-psych isn't pretentious or overly self-indulgent - think early Powderfinger playing a gig through a thick cloud of bong-smoke and you're close. The best bits of Ceduna are found in the middle - Future Proofed is a terrific ambient night-driving anthem, and the vocal harmonies on the meandering Purple Flower are genuinely affecting. Psychadelic music can often be overly improvised and experimental (ie: unplanned and disorganised), but the rock tinge of Ceduna makes it, for the most part, a real album with real songs. If these guys ever climb back down off their cloud, I'm sure their live shows will be a blast.

Artwork: C
The cover of this album is a shocker - my poorly-drawn rendition, above, is actually an improvement. Whoever chose the cover font should have their copy of InDesign revoked immediately. The distorted photography on the inside and back cover, combined with some simple, clean text, would have made a great cover.

Published in mX, Thursday June 5, 2008.