The Gurus “Closing Circles”
A power pop trio from Barcelona, The Gurus have once again changed things with their fourth album Closing Circles. Previous albums had either a Merseybeat or Psychedelic rock style, but here they tone down all those influences in favor of a more atmospheric trip. Fans of Brian Eno, The Moody Blues, and The Doors will find these Gurus more interesting.
Although they do break out the Rickenbacker for the opener “I Don’t Care About It,” which is a solid Byrdsian rocker. The light folk of “A Walk Again” and gentle pop ballad “Be My Wife” are good songs, and “I Put A Spell On You” is a great Guess Who-styled track. Unfortunately, things drift off into echoing indulgence on “Strange Believer,” as they jump all over the place from plodding David Crosbyesque jams (“I Can’t Go On”) to fast aimless Syd Barrett instrumentals (“Lucifer Sam”) and the remaining tracks commit a cardinal sin; they are simply boring. Fans of Rainbow Quartz neo-psychedelics, and Schnauser will still enjoy this, but others may want to pick out just a handful of worthy tracks.
The June “Green Fields and Rain”
When you really want a retro-sound, all you need to do is listen to The June from Parma, Italy. Another Rainbow Quartz labeled group, The June take the pop psyche atheistic to it’s proper mind bending place. Opening with the wonderful “Feel The Sunshine,” these Italians have all the right jangle and vocal harmonies drenched in sitar and buzzing guitar melody. The sounds of “On Fire” are similar to The Creation and “Pete On The Street” bounces along to Kinks like riffs. Some songs can rip off a bit too much, as “I’m Looking Out” cribs “Strawberry Fields Forever” rhythmically almost note for note. Despite this each song has a catchy hook and solid beat, so there is plenty here to enjoy and it’s got also energy to spare, highlights include “Love Is Gone,” “Smile” and the title track, a touching piano ballad. Lovers of vintage 60’s pop should add this gem to their collection without hesitation.