Electric Shepherd     

The Imitation Garden
Self-Released
2012

San Francisco's psychedelic voyagers Electric Shepherd return to takes us on an odyssey of blues tinged rock with some doom leanings.  After an energetic and trippy ride of guitar and drum, we glide into the first true track of the album, The Escapist.  A pulsing bass guitar and tapping cymbals drift into shimmering vocals and luxurious guitar that dances and weaves like a desert spider.  The song builds into a cacophony of expansive, yet jazzy guitar and quickly fades back into the sultry dream that was pulsing through our system from the outset.  Soft, luxurious curls of musical smoke are exhaled on Part 1 of the title-track.  There is such a laid back feeling to the track except when for brief moments in the chorus where we get some more raucous rock riffage.  Fat, vibrating riffs lurch forward and the whole Part 2 of the title-track gives a softer, Sabbath vibe, maybe somewhat akin to Planet Caravan, but with a bit more funk in the fabric of the song.  The drumming is insane and the fills throughout are creative and technical.  A darker, more insistent mood takes over Totem II.  Once again, intense drumming and a wailing guitar jam paint your mind with feverish dreams.  Into The Forest, Father is an ambient sunrise of synth and cymbal caressing.  Ponderous, hypnotic guitar and humming synth impose their will upon your subconscious like a desert as the soundscapes of Mechanical Flowers/Angels Reprise break across your ears.  There is a subtle Doors influence that sways in and out of the track and if you pay attention close enough you can feel it throughout the entire album.  But the way these notes are long and flowing and really airy and full of space conjures images of Pink Floyd.  This is instantly noticeable during the opening segment of Heaven Don't Need.  The washed out, warped vocals add layers of depth to the jazzy bass and guitar and the psychedelic vibe of the song.  Again I hear comparisons to Black Sabbath's Planet Caravan.  The guitars explode for some full on doom riffage, crushing all in their wake.  The Imitation Garden is a long, lavish trek through the vistas of your mind with these three talented musicians as your guides.  So pack your bags, and journey across the stars on a hallucinogenic journey.