Review Summary: Causa Sui in a nutshell.
A fair number of summers have passed without a brand new Causa Sui record to serve as soundtrack to them. The Danish quartet took their time to craft a new chapter in their expansive catalog and the results are delightful as always.
From the Source summarizes really well what the band is all about
: extended psychedelic rock jams with both heavy and mellow moments, as well as jazzy detours and constant, dynamic interplay between members. Another constant in their appeal is the breezy, summery vibe of their music. Previous effort,
Szabodelico was a lush experience with little bits of distortion interspersed throughout. This LP, on the other hand, brings back riffs and powerful climaxes to augment the soft parts. “Dusk Dwellers” remains the only tune that sticks all the way to those gorgeous, sunny melodies meant to relax every bone in your body. “Sorcerer’s Disciple” & “The Spot”, however, grow from syncopated grooves to harder, fuzzed out leads with tense segments that include various drum fills, sustained notes and guitar solos. It’s worth mentioning how the guys find new ways to avoid the stoner clichés, rarely relying on power chords, choosing multiple embellishments when wandering into their own sonic paths instead.
The second half of the record, consisting of the 24-minute epic, “Visions of a New Horizon” and resembling the
Summer Sessions output in both length and structure, is where Causa Sui goes all in. From chill guitar chord picking, jazz-oriented drum and bass rhythms, over which the guitar takes off on endless explorations, to oscillating synthesizers, you are thrown into this gradual whirlwind. Halfway, the song restarts, offering a second round of smooth variations and further sonic peaks. It’s been a while since the guys geared up for such a monster track, yet it was worth the effort. Less compression on the heavy parts is perhaps the only thing that would have enhanced the listen. It feels as if all that built up tension doesn’t truly burst when needed. Other than that,
From the Source successfully displays the band’s strengths in a nutshell. This is an excellent album to get yourself accustomed to their output and dive head first into their discography.
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