The Bitter Little Cider Apples are more punk than psych, but fun and a bit surprising, nevertheless, as their contribution to the previous volume was one of its poppier highlights. The aforementioned elder Holm's distinctive Lennonesque, nasally whine is back with his Dipsomaniacs for "Freedom Candy," which oozes Arthurly's Love-inspired charm. The haunting, baroque pop of The God Box's "Student of Astrology" is another early highlight, ensuring that Curt Boettcher's legacy lives on in more than just the work of the late, lamented Witch Hazel Sound. It also includes one of the best uses of the F-trumpet since "Penny Lane." (Note: This project, featuring Fit of the German husband/wife wyrdfolk duo Fit & Limo has released several records under the name Discolor, usually with a heavier psychedelic aroma.]
Perhaps in an attempt to be all things to all people (a natural tendency on compilations), Bensen includes Bristol's stoner punks, The Heads, who combine Kiss, Blue Cheer and Hendrix into a sonic sludge that will leave stoner rock aficionados "bleeding from orifices," to borrow a phrase from one of their main inspirations. Then, in a complete about-face, we get Kay Bonya (aka, Kable), whose repetitive mantra and wall of sound vocals turn "Just A Domino" into a first rate auditory hallucination, not unlike Bongwater at their peak. I think this is her first release since '97's Tardy All The Time (Fleece). Let's hope it's not her last.
Those quirky Dorset hounds, The Lucky Bishops deliver another lusciously fractured prog suite --- think Yes meets The Residents in a pool of acid. Patrick Porter's bluesy wail features some of the release's tastiest guitar licks and intimate production values; conversely, Australia's Sh'Mantra takes almost a minute to get going on "Headlight," and ultimately sounds like the producers were out in the parking lot on a coffee break when the musicians plugged in and started recording. One of the disk's few disappointing tracks, it's only recommended to fans of omnidirectional guitar wankfests. But things are quickly righted when Bill Doss and his Sunshine Fix Electric Blues Band tear a page out of Tommy James & The Shondells' distorted vocal exercises on "I Am A Tangerine" and deliver the tongue-in-cheek frivolity of "What Do You Know?" Finally, ex-Abunai! drummer Joe Turner goes right for the jugular with a sunshine pop psych fix of his own, "Turn Me Upside Down," and thirty seconds into Troll's "Shattered Venus" I was ready to issue an identity theft arrest warrant to haul Lotte Sveningsen in for impersonating Kendra Smith. It's that good! More, more, more, please, please, please!
So, as comps go, this has an extremely high "hit" quotient with nary a tosser in the lot and is even better than the first offering in the series. Congratulations are thus in order for Nick Bensen and his fine partners at Free City Media for bringing us the year's finest psychedelic compilation. Now go get started on Volume 3!