(Sensory Projects/Inertia)

Melbourne based psyche rockers

The Sand Pebbles deal in hazy, distant psychedelic rock. The five-piece went on a trip both figuratively and literally, heading out to the South Australian seascape for two weeks and consuming a drug or ten. The result of this particular journey is Ceduna. That said it is a pretty coherent and level-headed record, a solid collection of earthy, organic guitar flourishes. The band opts for the more passive side of psyche rock, allowing plenty of time to dreamily wind around guitar lines, however there are still some bona fide rock songs on here. Tennessee Says showcases a capable guitar face-off, and Wild Season wields a particular pastoral swagger reminiscent of Built To Spill. Purple Flower builds effectively and really captures the psychedelia the band seemed to strive for, and fifteen-minute closer Scenic wanders in and out of Sonic Youth territory to enjoyable effect. Yet, while The Sand Pebbles have a lot of potential, this record is a little too safe and tame to transcend the border between good and great. The band have definitely captured the sounds of their environment, but the overall mix sits too comfortably in a genre from which I’ve come to expect more.

MICHAEL PINCOTT

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