Up From Below (Deluxe Edition)

iTunes Review

Its difficult to figure out if Up From Below is making fun of Los Angelino hipsters who are trying to recreate the cultish California canyon-rock sound of the late '60s – early '70s, or if it’s totally emulating it. Either way, there’s no denying that Sharpe and his 11-piece ensemble of robed weirdo longhairs are having a good time and successfully recreating a bygone sound with zero musical anachronisms that would let people of the future know that this was recorded in 2010 and not 1969. Blending some of the Free Design’s lysergic optimism with the Incredible String Band’s penchant for hoisting high the freak flag and some more-disturbing-than-Devendra lyrics, “40 Day Dream” opens like the Polyphonic Spree never happened. A choir of womanly psychedelic singers on “Janglin” recalls moments of the Manson family (Charlie’s not Marilyn’s), while the title-track would sit right at home with any of those early-‘00s freak-folk bands that graced the covers of Arthur magazine. Sharpe’s girlfriend Jade Castrinos duets on the infectious “Home.” Of the bonus tracks, the spacey “Carries On” stands out most.