By: Martyn Coppack
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Released on August 26, 2014 via Hidden Pony Records
Elephant Stone are a sort of anomaly in the current psych scene. Where as everyone else is getting dark and exploring the freakier side of lysergic nature, Three Poisons is an uplifting, transcendent journey which owes more to baggy era Inspiral Carpets than any krautrock band. Not that they sound anything like that aforementioned band, it’s simply that they channel a loved up sound which takes its cue from the pastoral 60’s and imbibed it with a contemporary dance edge.
Then there is the sitar work of Rishi Dhir. Known for his work with Beck and Black Angels amongst others, his playing is all over this album and firmly entrenched it with that Ravi Shankar feel that so influenced bands in the sixties. It’s also a breath of fresh air and is the making of Elephant Stone although it would be unfair to discount all the other good work here.
It all gets off to a rapturous start too which immediately sets your toes dancing and opening tracks ‘Motherless Child (Love’s Not For War)’ and the quite ecstatic ‘Knock You From Yr Mountain’ are full of ebullience and do their best to make you smile. In fact, if you don’t find yourself grinning by the end point of these two songs which combine a magical fusion of 60’s sitar, noughties beats and nineties house style backing vocals then you need to consider checking your pulse.
To carry on like this would be too much though and much deeper fare follows with ‘All Is Burning’ setting a template for delightful melodies which reach an apex on the wonderful ‘Wayward Son’ which is the sort of song Lee Mavers would probably wished he could have written. All jangly guitars and driving beat, it glides along without a care in the world.
There is more moody stuff here with the experimental ‘Intermediate State’ reliving the strange sound of The Beatles ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ whilst ‘Three Poisons’ brings a drone like quality to proceedings. It is diversions like this that make the album more enjoyable and an ultimately more substantial listen.
It may be a bit late in the year for this to be considered a summer album but what it does is prepare the band for the haul of promotion ahead. These are songs which will last the path and come next festival season Elephant Stone should be in the position to bring some well worn and loved songs out to play. Almost like a bookend to the excellent Woods album earlier this year, it is like a signal that the year is nearly over and it’s time to start looking to the future. Let’s hope the future includes this rather wonderful band as on the basis of this album they deserve all the plaudits they get.
