(Valve)

When D.Black started making music on acoustic guitar, a whole bunch of other people wanted to get involved too, including Bris-indie identities such as AxxOn’s Tom Hall and I Heart Hiroshima’s Susie Patten. And thus we have the debut album by Secret Birds, where Black, Hall, bassist Pat Wright and John Steel Singers drummer Ross Chandler make a surprisingly cohesive blast of sinister, doomy psychedelia. The darkest number is the first track Zone In/7th Pillar, but its drone rock sheets of sound are actually quite digestible if you’re in the mood. Elsewhere, Lame Child places spooky English folk vocalisations against garagey psych stylings. Another highlight is the epic End Of Heaven, a blend of tripped-out guitars, free jazz saxophone and, ultimately, tranquillity. It’s a record that may well find an audience among fans of the likes of Sunn O))) and Slint, as well as contemporary sonic travellers such as Growing. Despite its many experimental trimmings, Asleep On The Dragon also manages to sound like a raw, visceral rock & roll record. Crank this up and you’ll feel strangely good.

***½

MATT THROWER