Their last album, 2008's Beauty and the Beast, saw UK band The Earthling Society taking a bit of a departure, delving into a generally more psychedelic pop direction. I wondered if that was the overall direction they were taking the band in, but it seems for now a one-off experiment, as 2009 finds the band returning to the intense and layered space rock they've come to be known for on such albums as Tears of Andromeda and Plastic Jesus & the Third Eye Blind.
Like those albums, this one is another stellar winner, and perhaps even better thanks to a more focused approach. With an eerie deep space drone that is soon pierced by a restless rhythm, the album begins with the title track, a wild space rock ride that reminds me a bit of Dark Sun at times. The vocals range from seductively soulful to punkish in style, but are purely Earthling Society. Musically, the track careens from catchy song writing to experimental noise to swirling organ and synth solos, but all gels into a perfect blend of the three. Tempel ov Flaming Youth, the nearly 11-minute piece that follows is a completely different story, being a wildly unpredictable romp that starts with five minutes of ambient exploration in a Krautrock style before launching into an almost heavy metal style workout that sounds like it's going to be some dark jamming until it breaks into... a triumphant orchestral lead! And just when you think it's going to quiet down again, Tempel rushes into a chaotic, nearly freeform freak out of a coda that leaves you breathless. And so it goes with Sci-Fi Hi-Fi. Each song is a surprise, from the Ozric Tentacles like EA1729, to the psych/folk weirdness of The Lantern, to the lush and dreamy excursion of A Future Dream, with its gorgeous synth leads and memorable vocal melody. There's not a song under 7 minutes on the album, and in fact, it's all capped off by the monster 20 minute epic, E.V.I.L.U.S.A., certainly one of their best songs to date, and at times, one of their heaviest too! From its spaced out beginnings it weaves through blistering heavy psych to a lengthy passage of strumming acoustic guitars and a sighing electric lead that eventually breaks into a truly epic guitar solo that is just stunning. And finally it all emerges into a dazzling and freaky space disco finale. Yes, you read that right, space disco! While that may sound cheesy, in the hands of these phenomenal musicians it is definitely not. It soars with spooky Theremin-like synths, funky guitars and swirling strings, bringing to a close this extraordinary album.
Whether you want to call it space rock, or something unique unto itself, Sci-Fi Hi-Fi remains one of the best releases of the year so far, and quite possibly the best album from The Earthling Society that we've heard yet. Put it on your "to get" list, because you don't want to miss this one.