Weeping Bong Band :: II

A loose-knit Western Mass/Upstate NY psych supergroup of sorts, Weeping Bong Band transports listeners to some extremely spacious zones on their second lp. Recorded live at the 1794 Meeting House in New Salem, MA, II is an exercise in deep restraint, with the players (including members of Wet Tuna, Tower Recordings, Pigeons, Viewer, and Crystalline Roses to name just a few) giving each other plenty of room to stretch out and explore. A bass line moves through the mix at a glacial pace, a gently moody piano part rises out of the mist, a guitar drifts in from above. It’s kinda like the most still and becalmed moments from an early ’70s “Dark Star.” You might be fooled at first into thinking that there’s not much going on, but give it a little attention and II captivates. Bonus point for the cover’s reference to the worst (or best?) album art of all time. words/t wilcox

Weeping Bong Band :: Pattern of a Platitude