The Double Shadows - RED

The Double Shadows

RED
self-released; 2015

4.0 out of 5

By J Simpson

The Double Shadow's EP Red is a psychedelic drift down a lysergic river Styx. You'll meet Vegas bump 'n grind, Wurlitzer funk and late night cabaret along the banks.

Most bands, when evoking the spirit of psychedelia, resort to a cliché caricature of incense and peppermints with the obligatory acid fried wah-wah solos and the occasional obligatory mellotron or B3 rave-up. They focus on the image of psychedelia, completely overlooking the definition of the word, which is art that produces the sensations of a drug trip or is just generally vision-inducing. 

Melbourne's Double Shadow is making a much more compelling mezcal portrait with Red. This is no Lifetime 1968 biopic. No Age of Aquarius knock-off. 

What sets The Double Shadows apart is the unusual instrumentation and exquisite musicianship. The Double Shadows comes off more like a great soul/jazz band than a Jefferson Airplane knockoff. Songs are punctuated with tasty blasts of sultry brass and amazing keyboard workouts from Benjamin Freeman, who veers all the way from Booker T. acid organ jams to light acoustic piano that would do Keith Jarrett proud. 

This creates a beautiful bedrock for Nes Cassey's vocals, which are almost equal parts Janis Joplin and Billie Holiday. She's got bite, but she's got soul, as a low purring whisper suddenly erupts into ferocious belting, mirroring the brass as only the best jazz singers can do. 

Red is like a casino on the highway to purgatory. This is your last chance - make sure to make the most of it. Wager big, you've got nothing left to lose. Except possibly your eternal soul. This is a too-short and too-perfect smooth soulful jazz funk mind jam. Simply: get this now, and listen on repeat all summer long.

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