Cardinal Fuzz / Feeding Tube Records in collaboration with Deep Water Acres and in tribute to Sunrise Ocean Bender Records bring to you: Elkhorn – ‘Other Worlds.’
Drew Gardner and Jesse Sheppard, the two-guitar duo of Elkhorn, share a musical brotherhood that spans several decades. From their nascent high school socialist-realist post-punk band Mayfirst, to teenage scavenger trips to the Princeton Record Exchange and City Gardens, the two came of age goofing along to the Dead Kennedys, the Butthole Surfers, and Sonic Youth in the dank Jersey/Philly-scene music holes. Elkhorn has long traversed the valleys between fried cosmic psychedelia and American Primitive, particularly the latter style’s reverence for a wide range of folk and blues idioms ranging from County Records compilations to the Mississippi Sheiks.
While the pair is best known for their acoustic guitar explorations, ‘Other Worlds’ continues their recent experiments with other instrumental possibilities. For instance, on the previous Elkhorn release ‘On the Whole Universe in All Directions,’ Drew switched to vibraphone and drums, with Jesse playing 12-string guitar. ‘Other Worlds,’ on the other hand, finds them in a recognizable ‘rock trio’ format (in improvisational mode)—Drew is on electric guitar, with Jesse playing bass, and they are again joined by Ian McColm on drums, with the free-flowing groove he brings. On the opening track ‘Watching the Skies’ you can feel the forward propulsion this—dare I say—power trio sets up, a cosmic widescreen which Elkhorn proceed to rock and groove... across the whole of ‘Other Worlds.’ Three flawless musicians in their own right, together they form a telepathic psychic link that taps into the otherworldly flow that is ‘Other Worlds,’ as the synergy created by Jesse and Ian leaves Drew plenty of space to take off on exhilarating and soaring flights of fuzzy haze fire that results in a musical journey toward transcendence.
Elkhorn demonstrate again and again that there is no height they won't scale, no direction they won't travel. Have Elkhorn ever sounded as heavy or as on fire as the recordings laid down here? You be the judge. The trio is multitudes. The trio is one.
Mastering - Chris Hardman
Artwork - Brett Savage
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The LP comes on strong to sort out the heads from the chino wearers, before gradually mellowing and becoming more mystical as it unhurriedly evolves; overdubbed layer by layer with perfectly judged, familiar and further flung instrumental patterns that you're average San Francisco septuagenarian would surely approve of. If their multi-instrumental ability wasn't enough they've even dragged in fellow tripper Jesse Sparhawk to add some pedal steel and lever harp depth to the already rich tapestry. TheSlowMusicMovement
So...Grateful Dead, Gong and Can , set up shop and start jamming. Hawkwind shows up amd says, "Oh, this is lovely, let's really mess with minds." Wonderful jams. Pour Dampness definitely hints to the Dead...Shrinks has Gong and Can written all over the liner notes until the 10 minute mark...then Hawkwind blows through the rest.Great psych jams! dgcirkus
Juxtaposing lo-fi warmth with library music spaciousness, CV Vision's "In Time" teaches a lesson in transformative psych. Bandcamp New &... Notable Apr 14, 2021
Drew & Jesse took their guitar-based telepathy on the road just before the pandemic closed down the world. On their travels, they shared that telepathy not just with audiences but with a string of outstanding guests whom you'll hear woven seamlessly into the tapestry of Elkhorn's music. This is a magical release. Grip it today. J. M. Hart