The Black Angels, “Clear Lake Forest”

Following last year’s successes, the Black Angels are staging an encore with Clear Lake Forest, a 30-minute effort that tells stories of executioners and—you guessed it—clear lakes.
Reviews
The Black Angels, “Clear Lake Forest”

Following last year’s successes, the Black Angels are staging an encore with Clear Lake Forest, a 30-minute effort that tells stories of executioners and—you guessed it—clear lakes.

Words: Kurt Orzeck

July 22, 2014

2014. The Black Angels, “Clear Lake Forest” album art.

The-black-angels_clear-lake-forestThe Black Angels
Clear Lake Forest
BLUE HORIZON
6/10

What would a great album be without the now-requisite EP companion? Last year, the Black Angels released the widely praised Indigo Meadow, which took three years to make. The record earned them a slot on a tour with Roky Erickson, the father of psych-rock, and further solidified their status as the subgenre’s strongest contemporary troupe—more reliable than Brian Jonestown Massacre and less self-conscious than Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Following last year’s successes, the Black Angels are staging an encore with Clear Lake Forest, a 30-minute effort that tells stories of executioners and—you guessed it—clear lakes. “If it feels good, do it again / A rope for your sins / Twisting in the wind,” croons Alex Maas on the dizzying penultimate track, “The Executioner.” And he’s right: Follow your instincts and overindulge in the Black Angels with another go-round. Oh, and take the blue pill. Wait…the red one?