Legalize Everythinginhabits the grey area between ’60s garage rock and the Texan-style psychedelic wave popularised by bands like 13th Floor Elevators and The Sonics.
It assaults your ears with a reasonable amount of the treble-heavy, tube-screaming guitar licks of Wailers-era West Coast grunge, but quickly changes gear to the more melodic, rhythm-driven Texas psych.
The balancing act of both sounds is the most important element driving the album, as well as being the most divisive. There is a notable improvement in sheer musicality from The Frowning Clouds’ earlier albums, as well as a more diverse approach to their blended version of the genre.
However, the tempo and style changes are occasionally jarring. The bizarre addition of a kazoo in ‘Move It’ almost ruins the song before the elongated, Tame Impala-esque walking breakdown at the end brings it straight back. In spite of this, Legalize Everything is a step in the right direction for some of the best among Aussie garage rockers.
The Frowning Clouds are continuing to solidify themselves as part of the strong foundation of contemporary garage rock in Australia, while making their own meaningful contributions to the genre itself.
3.5/5.
Legalize Everythingis out now through Rice Is Nice / Inertia.
