The Blank Tapes
Geodesic Dome Piece (Royal Oakie)
Reviewed by Doug Freeman, Fri., May 8, 2015
Matt Adams was never circumspect about his THC tendencies, but Geodesic Dome Piece sparks more directly both in sentiment and sound. "Do you like to get high?" he asks on "Do You Wanna Get High?" – a rhetorical question for anyone spinning the Blank Tapes' prolific output over the past decade. And yet, following up the breakout of 2012's Vacation, the Californians' latest surprises in the tight focus of Sixties, garage-psych-inspired jams. Opener "Way Too Stoned" rips bluesy behind woozy vocals, while "Oh My My" twists garage pop through an array of effects. Even then, Adams keeps the reverb and effects largely stashed as the sound rolls a blend of Laurel Canyon melodies, laid-back Moby Grape roots jams, and raw, Nuggets-era rock. (Sat., 5pm, Reverberation Stage)
