Plastic Man “Don’t Look At The Moon”
Plastic Man is an Italian pysche-pop garage band that has nothing to do with stretchy superhero of the same name. What makes this band “stretch” is its ability to combine late ’60s fuzz guitar, reverb, and vocal tremolo into trippy melodies. “North Polar Land” starts with a looping rhythm and echoing distant vocals. “Black and Blue Dream” ups the echoes with jangle guitar and xylophone. Like Plastic Macca, we get very groovy psyche-pop experiences around 2 minutes each, but there is a little more variety, from the surf guitar of “Black Hole” and “Needle Point” to the odd melody and cowbell beat of the title track.
One huge standout is the jangle-tastic “He Didn’t Know” that sounds almost like a gem from last years album from The Above. “Rolling Machine” goes a little wilder with heavy distorted chords and a gurgling chorus. But a lead vocal doesn’t stand out here, instead we get a collective harmony (with a female voice in there) for many tunes. Another standout “Mike, the Center of The World” does highlight the vocal performances. Fans of sixties psyche rejoice and double your fun!
Plastic Macca “Sensation”
Roger Houdaille (Ex Norwegian) has a retro secret identity as Plastic Macca. On the debut album Sensation, it scratches the itch for fans of late 60’s psychedelics starting with the “Life” a short gem with echoing vocals and fuzz bass. “Art” is very much in the style of Kinks Village Green Preservation Society with a nice descending guitar riff. Roger adds his own melodic touch to these short musical sketches (most around 2 minutes).
Therein lies the issue: most of the songs sound like nice ideas that float in and out of your ears without much resonance. Songs like “Reverse” and “Air” have a bedroom garage quality about the recording that does keep them endearing, but they’re not memorable. Roger’s creative impulses yield a few melodic gems like “Wasteland” and the weird “Garden” is like very early Bowie (you almost expect sped up gnome voices).
Not content with a single LP, Roger unleashed the sophomore Plastic Macca Is Here at the same time. Less a retro exercise it has its share of notable songs including “Hall” and “Skinny.” Expand your psyche-pop collection and give Plastic Macca’s oeuvre chance.