Review: The Green Tambourine Band - ...Let Yourself Be / Aum

After hearing a track or two on the ever-reliable Active Listener samplers, I recently decided to investigate The Green Tambourine Band a bit further and so downloaded ‘Let Yourself Be / Aum’ from the Active Listener site…..and bloody glad I did.

The Green Tambourine Band ( I assume the name is a reference to the ‘Lemon Pipers’ track?) are four blokes from Edinburgh who, in the spirit of authenticity, use vintage gear when brewing up their psychedelic treats, and treats they are.

The LP is nominally ten tracks long, but is split into 2 distinct suites (and to this end the download handily provides the tracks separately but also as the two halves – fab idea).

To the music; the first half – the ‘Let Yourself Be’ half – is beautifully jangly late sixties psychedelic pop. Touches of the Beatles can be heard, as well as material that would not sound out of place on the ‘Highs In The Mid-Sixties’ comps. According to the Active Listener site, the first half encourages “the purity of living life in the moment” and it does have a life affirming charm about it. The band showcase their lyrical skills on this side, with motifs, both lyrical and musical, running throughout the side – lovely stuff.

The second half – ‘Aum’ – is a different kettle of fish – it crosses the tracks to the freakier side of town. ‘Aum’ “represents the beginning of the universe, the world now, and the destruction and rebirth of a funky new world in its three interconnected parts.” – heady stuff indeed. The three tracks have the conceptual, symphonic feel about them and are definitely best heard as a whole. It flows as a piece from more freaky psych to acid folk before culminating in the two coming together.

The album as a whole is a wonderful piece of psych, both evocative of the past and looking to the future. I really, really enjoyed this!



Links:

The Active Listener

Faceache

@TheGreenTB

Soundcloud