Earthsong of Silence

British combo Wax Machine occupy a particularly kaleidoscopic frontage on the perpetual river of psychedelic rock. Led by Brazilian-born, Italian-reared singer/guitarist Lau Ro, the group materialized in the indie underground of Brighton, England in 2018 with a pair of blissfully out-there EPs that were deeply rooted in the transcendental sounds of vintage psychedelia with an emphasis on the genres exploratory jazz, folk, and Tropicalia sides. After securing a roster spot with psych-specialty label Beyond Beyond Is Beyond Records, Ro and bandmates Isobel Jones (vocals, flute), Woody Green (bass), and Toma Sapir (drums) found a complementary collaborator in Japanese producer Go Kurosawa, whose band Kikagaku Moyo occupies a similar sonic space. The resulting album, Wax Machines first full-length effort, is more or less a continued exploration of the territory traversed on their two introductory EPs. Warmly captured and resplendent with the appropriate affectations of the groups chosen musical period (i.e. the mind-expanding drug culture of the late 60s), Earthsong of Silence faithfully hits all the right spots. The dueling freak-folk vocals of Ro and Jones, dipping in and out of harmony, calling and responding to each other, gives the band a communal voice, especially on tracks like Shade and Truth, whose earthy grooves are made lighter by Jones celestial flute. The rhythm section is nimble, and Ros guitar-playing is rich and enjoyable, exploring a range of different retro tones. ~ Timothy Monger