Calico Mantra are here planning a road trip for you through the history of psychedelic music, mostly that of the British variety. Having said that, this is not mere imitation. It takes some serious Houdini like acrobatics to plan out a song like “The Madmen” as successfully as the group does here.
The vocal delivery beckons to Hunky Dory era David Bowie, and the lyrics share some of the pre-Ziggy faux-spiritual obsessions. The melodies sound like the accumulation of ideas arrived while an unhealthy obsession with groups like the Beatles, the Zombies, or the Byrds. Finally, in their bid to be more than a mere nostalgia act, the production is modern, arranged in a very detailed way, with Tame Impala’s modern-psych sounds being the closest living relative to Calico Mantra.
I’m not as familiar with the rest of the band’s work as to suggest I may be able to predict the future. But, if I were to take a wild stab at guessing, Calico Mantra sounds like a group that’s not built to merely fade away politely. Expect some sparks!
