By day, Flying Saucer Attack pilot Dave Pearce works at the Amnesty International bookstore in Bristol, England -- a grounding and noble occupation for sure. But by night, he levitates into a mind-warped realm of dizzying noises and radiant melodies. In the past, most of Pearce's Attacks have revolved around buzzing washes of feedback, fragments of folk guitar, and sedated vocals. On MIRROR, however, he subordinates the chaos and volume to focus more intently on coherent, structured songwriting. Of course, Flying Saucer Attack still sound trippy and mercurial, but instead of overlapping sprawling vistas of sound, Pearce streamlines the assault and expands his sonic palate. The band's
Nick Drake and
Syd Barrett influences shine through more lucidly than ever on tracks like "Suncatcher" and "Tides." "Chemicalus" and "Wintersong" anchor drifting atmospheres with frantic drum'n' bass beats. And on "Islands" and "Starcity," Pearce achieves maximum dronage, bringing to mind other star voyagers such as
Spacemen 3 and
Suicide. As long as you don't mind melody with your hallucinations, MIRROR reflects something dazzling for anyone who thrives on mind-altering music.
