Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Robbie Allen and the Outer Edge - Lost In The Sweep
 | A dozen well developed tracks with surf underpinnings, glissandos, dramatic drums, and psychedelic edges. This is adventurous and well constructed, and it's off on the outskirts of surf. |
Picks: Sonar Ghost, Namazu's Revenge, Final Voyage, Viper Trails, Tormented Victory, Lost In The Sweep, Glass Beach, Jungle Tiki Lounge, Sad Day In The Waves, Spanish Medallion
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
Sonar pings echo through the deep as moody tone and dramatic percussion pave the way for a smooth, coastal instro. Echo in lieu of reverb, organ, groovy glissandos, and a splendid melody reminiscent of Rake and the Surftones all add up to a very cool track.
Rock (Instrumental)
"Simple Pleasures" is a gentle summer breeze instro with swirling keys and slithery guitar. It's very pretty and coastal.
Biker Fuzz (Instrumental)
Gnarly whammy, fuzz, glissandos, and organ groan. "Namazu's Revenge" may be a simple riff rocker at heart, but it's gritty, dirty, and aquatic. It grumbles, rumbles, psych-swirls, and garage fuzz scrapes. Very cool!
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Big drama and a lumbering pace with a European feel and an island imagery. "Final Voyage" is lovely and tribal.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Viper Trails" is a rockin' track with a jam feel, but more melody than that usually means. Its coastal sound and feel are amped with gritty glissandos. The wah wah psycho break seems out of place, yet it's really cool.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
There's nothing tormented about "Tormented Victory," though the "Apache" arrow swipes suggest ghostly battles past. It's a surfish, haunted soundscape of eerie tone and sad melody lines.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Gritty glissandos, coastal drama, rock guitar licks, and surf rhythms. "Lost In The Sweep" is an adventurous number with plenty to grab your attention. It's a way cool post modern surf based instrumental with howling feedback and rock guitar hero licks.
Surf (Instrumental)
East going, psychedelic sitar-esq tone and spacial sweep... aurally cool, but it didn't stick with me at all.
Surf (Instrumental)
Happiness is a sunny afternoon wandering among the rocks in Fort Bragg in search of natural glass. Breezy, uplifting, and drifting through time effortlessly. Quite nice.
Surf (Instrumental)
Great percussion and rich ambiance with subdued organ rumble under a sweeping rock instro guitar. It's the tribal percussion that ties "Jungle Tiki Lounge" squarely to the surf. While not as surfy as I might like, it sure does get me going!
Surf (Instrumental)
Muted, echoed rhythms and a sparkling lagoon melody line, along with some edgy grit and spooky keys. "Sad Day In The Waves" is a solid track that's just perfect for a dawn patrol!
Surf (Instrumental)
A modest pace and rich ambiance support this sultry spaghetti western melody just fine. Plenty of engaging arrangement shifts and tonal drifts make "Spanish Medallion" a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Haunting and moody.