Escape: Expanded Edition

Like Erik “Ripley” Johnson’s other project, Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo make long, hypnotic, two chord jams -- the types of songs that wouldn’t feel out of place in Suicide or Spacemen 3’s catalog. Even as a four song mini-LP, Escape’s crunchy, sonic sprawl is exhausting. With collaborator Sanae Yamada playing organ along with Johnson, the music differs slightly from Wooden Shjips' output, but not by much. Guitar fuzz is still front and center as monotone vocals murmur from the echo chamber down the hall, barely audible behind a cyclical drone of distortion. In fact, if you're a fan of Dos or Vol. 2, it's safe to say that you will like Escape. For each track, Krautrock repetition and San Franciscan psychedelia are taken to the extreme, as noodling guitar effects spin out of control over a freeway of fuzz that just goes on and on and on. If Moon Duo’s mission is to hypnotize, they succeed tremendously. It’s the perfect soundtrack to nod off to, so don't be afraid when your eyes glaze over. Just be prepared for some dark and weird dreams. ~ Jason Lymangrover