Awake In the Brain Chamber

On Secret Machines fourth album and first since the death of original guitarist Benjamin Curtis, 2020s Awake in the Brain Chamber, co-founding members singer/keyboardist Brandon Curtis and drummer Josh Garza return to the infectious, sonically expansive brand of space rock that marked their first two albums. The album follows 2008s eponymously titled Secret Machines, which found former Tripping Daisy guitarist Phil Karnats stepping in for Benjamin, who had left to focus on his work with School of Seven Bells. Although the band never officially broke up, they mostly went their separate ways after that album. By 2013, Benjamin and Brandon had reunited for the side project Cosmicide. Sadly, Benjamin was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma and died that same year at age 35. In the wake of his brothers death, Brandon kept busy touring with Interpol, while drummer Garza contributed to a bevy of projects, including recording with the Warlocks. Brandon eventually returned to his work with Cosmicide and at a 2016 show reconnected with Garza. Along with guests Bryan Bisordi, Chris Kyle, and Sarah Pedinotti, they began reworking the Cosmicide songs into what would become Awake in the Brain Chamber. The result is a deeply felt production informed by the groups long-standing love of ambient music, psych-pop, and kinetic, 70s-style Krautrock. Poignantly, at the core of the album is the shimmering Everything Starts, featuring production and guitar work from Benjamin Curtis recorded prior to his death. A moody anthem rife with warm vocal harmonies, it brings to mind the sound of the first two Secret Machines albums while also revealing a more mature, emotionally grounded sophistication. Its a balance they perfect throughout Awake in the Brain Chamber, with cuts like the acidic and slow-burning Lets Stay Alive, the jet-fueled Dreaming Is Alright, and the sparkling Talos Corpse, evoking a finely curated mix of touchstones, from the Church and Spiritualized to Pink Floyd. Theres a palpably textured quality to the groups sound, as if everything from the vocals and brightly wound guitars to the glassy keyboards and refracting basslines has been filtered through a giant NASA satellite. Its a fitting aesthetic for a band that has returned to earth after a long journey through their inner emotional cosmos. ~ Matt Collar