The 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?
