Mystic Braves

[Consequence of Sound, 4/29/14]

One look at Los Angeles-based rock band Mystic Braves and you can almost guess their influences to a T. Donning vintage wardrobes, shaggy haircuts, and flower-child sensibilities, the’60s are still alive and well with this quintet. Their 2013 self-titled debut featured a confident brand of crunchy, sun-kissed rock. Now, they churn out more beach-ready retro rock jams with their sophomore full-length Desert Island, which is due out on April 29. In anticipation, the album is streaming in full below.

On Desert Island, the California sun certainly colors the band’s music. “The West Coast has it all really—beaches, mountains, deserts, cities, suburbs,” says frontman Julian Ducatenzeiler in a statement, “Our sound is merely a byproduct of the environments we grew up in and the experiences we had. We’re not trying to deliberately channel ’60s music, either.” He continues, “we simply write sensible pop songs from the heart with psychedelic textures and tones. It just comes natural to us.”

Fortunately for Mystic Braves, they really are naturals at breezy garage rock. With the squiggly organs, triumphant guitars, and scratchy “oohs” nestled in its chorus, the aptly-titled opener “Bright Blue Day Haze” sets the tone for the following half hour of blissful throwback psychedelia. Other highlights include the dusty, bluesy stomp of “Coyote Blood”, the resounding guitars of the title track, and the surprise Latin-sounding horns on the “Valley Rat”.