Trevor and the Jones - There was Lightning

As Las Vegas' premier (only? I know the Laissez Faires will be another contender) psychedelic band, Trevor and the Jones have made a name for themselves in the local scene. I have ranted'n'raved about their live show a time or two and the recording does a fine job of capturing their essence.

Led by singer/guitarist Trevor Jones, he is joined by Joe Lawless on guitar and keys, Chris Montijo on drums and, on this CD Dale Gilbert on bass, although he has now left the band.

Although they lean primarily towards the slower, psychedelic numbers, they, smartly, open with a ravin' commentary on the music scene, "Dig This". Pumpin' bass and drums, fuzzed-out guitar lines and a good jolt of energy makes this a cool start. There's a slow, deliberate groove going in "Sneak", with some neat 12-string riffs intertwining. Slowing down things even more and leaving things wide open, "A Familiar Way" is a stoned-out ballad with some cool Hollies-like 12-string at the end (yes, these guys really like their 12 string guitars!). "Grooving at the Speed of Light" picks up the tempo a bit and adds nice harmonies and backing vocals along with psyched-out, effects-laden guitars. They build this into a rockin' jam with really cool guitar interplay - both Trevor and Joe are fine players.

We get a straight-ahead rocker in "It's Exhausting" that has another hot dual-guitar duel and "Other Things" continues in a similar vein but with some very hip, layered vocals. Not to be egotistical and I am positive that it is a coincidence, but "It's Getting Early" reminds of one of my old Thee Fourgiven garage/psych tunes, so of course I like it! Driven by incessant beat, there's more 12-strings and cool melodies and harmonies. "Show Yourself" sounds to me pretty Pink Floyd-ish, from song construction to guitar tones to the lengthy (10 minute total) instrumental ending. There's a more light-hearted pop tune in "Reality's Mine" before the final jam, "Superslow". This is a repetitive, drone-y number that sucks you in as it becomes a tumultuous psych/noise extended jam that, at (again) 10 plus minutes, can be a bit excessive, especially in a live setting.

Still, very groovy modern psych from the desolate desert of Las Vegas. They have only gotten better since this recording so be sure to see them live.