I have to admit—the first song on Efren’s latest album, Rise On Up And Melt, left me cold, and I was about to file it under “nothing new here” but something stopped me. Something subtle. Something called, “Over Our Borders.” This track hit me right between the eyes, and suddenly, I got it: It’s southern psychedelia. Who else is doing that?
Efren’s album is hypnotic and deceptive. Yeah, it’s lo-fi Southern rock, and that’s not exactly fresh, but the accents, the moods, the flourishes…It’s like Drive-By Truckers on a morphine drip. Or Cowboy Junkies on speed. Not sure which.
This is an album that gets more rewarding with repeated listens. And although I don’t touch the stuff myself, I imagine it goes down well with a joint.
Buy it here.
