-valis Pick of the Week

Hail Voyagers! Our Pick this week comes from Melbourne, Australia, The Citradels! They've just recently released their new album, Our Lord's Secret Service, on Psyche Ward.

As a follow-up to January's Psychotic Syndrone, they further extend the sound and allow for more space on this outing. Borrowing from our good friend, confidante, and musically-obsessive counterpart, Mr. Atavist:

" ...Our Lord’s Secret Service takes their previous outing’s lead and builds on it, blossoming and subsiding into itself without ever losing touch with an earthy foundation. Much of Service plays out in a sparse space, stripped down without being slight or so ethereal that The Citradels misplace themselves in the haze. A first run through might come across as though things aren’t as fleshed out as they should be, but as you get into it any sense of restraint soon becomes an aura of something lurking and rising up at its own pace. Sure, much of it plays to their cited influences (The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3, The Velvets), but who doesn’t? That’s one of the hooks. Indistinct and vague blankets cover many of the cuts, but the songs aren’t smothered by them nor are they slathered in so much effect that it comes over as compensation. As the record progresses it swells and shifts, at times imperceptibly morphing so that you take a look around and things have changed significantly. That’s made abundantly clear about midway through with the fantastic Black Holes, a track that is both different from what’s played out so far, but also a natural end result. It’s a liquid and elastic creature that makes more sense as it seems to distance itself from the rest … which it really isn’t doing. Other cuts like the dreamy Golden Gun or obscurely sweet Poppy Seeds play to softer, ghostlier strengths that may not have the heft of Black Holes or Jesus, 007 Baby but still share the same strong family ties. One of those ties is without question The Citradels beginnings as De Vries’ release valve as it maintains an intimate and almost homespun flavor as it builds on that first, personal inception. "




According to thier Facebook page: "Yesterday we started tracking on our 3rd album Droned and Rethroned (Working Title) in which we have drums and bass done for 6 out of the 13 tracks. Hopefully out in the early part of 2014." Much to look forward to, while enjoying what we have!

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You can listen to the archived stream here; or, hear it this Friday, on The Dead Man's Turn Me On, Dead Man show on Live365, where it's heard every Friday at noon eastern time, as well as Mr. Atavist's Sunrise Ocean Bender show, heard every Monday from 1 to 3 am eastern, on WRIR in Richmond, VA.

Note:
Adding the Pick of the Week to their show is Dogs Got A Bone out of Edinburgh, Scotland, from 10pm to midnight, U.K. time, (adjust accordingly,) on Belter Radio. Thanks Col Chant!