Inbetween Lives

iTunes Review

An amorphous, shape-shifting group, The Love Dimension operates just outside the Bay Area’s roiling garage-psych scene. The band is more Jefferson Airplane and It’s a Beautiful Day than Nuggets or Pebbles treats; in its darker moments, it’s more Doors than Seeds. Jimmy Dias—the core of the group— revisits the searching vibe of the ‘60s with his peace-and-love lyrics and a strong dose of romanticism. “Remember your first kiss? Whoa, whoa, whoa!” he sings on one track, but he warns in another: “Send some blessings to your friends/just in case/this all ends tomorrow.” Singer Celeste Obomsawin has a velvety powerhouse of a voice and lights up ragged hippie-rock tunes like “Butterflies of Bliss” and the raucous, surf-tinged “Ride the Waves.” There are hints of garage in the terrific rave-up “Got Gratitude” and the swaggering “Question Mark Heart,” plus some real punk grit in “Had Enough.” Dias’ howl (peppered with clamorous guitars and ominous keyboards) on “Dark Night of the Soul” is a treat. Is that patchouli we smell?