Bigfoot Coroners - Urban Fossils

I've said it before and I'll say it again; there is definitely something in the water in Canada, something that fundamentally changes the DNA of folk so when they pick up a musical instrument they can't help but to produce something top quality. We already have TBWNIAS, Shooting Guns, Moths & Locusts (with various 'offshoots'), Hawkeyes, The Intelligence Service, Holy Mount, Heavy Moon, Low Orbit, Khan Tengri .. and they are just the ones mentioned in this lil' ol' blog!! I hesitate to call Bigfoot Coroners the 'new kids on the block' as a peek at their Bandcamp page indicates that they have been making music since 2017, but they can certainly be added to that roll-call of class acts, especially after this, their debut album (also much kudos as the band were one of many who contributed a track to the monumental 'Psych Against Cancer' charity compilation....if you haven't already you can get that here!). The band themselves are a "hazed and refused 2pc psychedelic improvisational outfit conceived 21 feet of the ground in the woods west of Ottawa with occasional guests" and 'Urban Fossils' is a sensational piece of work!

What Bigfoot Coroners excel at is spellbinding jams that suspend time for the duration, and in these times, that is something we all need.. From the opening drones of 'Boneyard Reveries (Part I)' to the closing feedback and static hum of 'Boneyard Reveries (Part II)' we are treated to 37 minutes of hazy, dreamy psych that leans heavily on atmosphere and textures rather than any showy histrionics. The aforementioned 'Boneyard Reveries (Part I)' is a slow builder; all oscillating drones, muted chant-like vocals and shimmering percussion that sits somewhere between heavenly and doom-laden. As the track progresses it evolves into something more recognisable as a spaced-out, improvised jam that could be mistaken for something Electric Moon may produce. 'A Telltale Sign' opens with somewhat muted but chiming psychedelic guitar and some stately drumwork, obviously shaping up for another slowburn ...but, and this is the clever bit, whereas some other bands would let the track build and build until it becomes a morass of feedback and squalling guitar, these guys keep the build controlled and measured, which means that it never loses those shapes and textures they have skillfully crafted. The third, and final, track 'Boneyard Reveries (Part II)' is another longform (18 minutes ) psych workout in which the band gently, but firmly, bend the spacetime continuum, lifting the listener onto another plane of existence...it is a heady number indeed.

'Urban Fossils' is a fantastic debut album, it ticks every box of what a psych lover needs in a recording but it is all done with nuanced craft and for an improvised set it has a measure of control that is laudable. All in all, anyone who digs psych/spacerock jams will find this a pretty essential record. The album is vailable on vinyl (very limited as I believe only 112 were pressed) and as a download, both available via the band's Bandcamp page here.