Wooden Shjips (Omar Ahsanuddin – drums, Dusty Jermier – bass, Nash Whalen – organ, Erik "Ripley" Johnson – guitar) are a vital and refreshingly inspired quartet from San Francisco playing loud rock 'n' roll in a style heavily influenced by the experimentalism of psychedelia, classical minimalism and garage rock excess.
And here, we have the new Wooden Shjips record, "Dos".
Their second full length to date, "Dos" embraces a minimalist psych approach once offered by the likes of NEU and LOOP. Their trademark whipping fuzz hooks have become groovier and their Deerhunter style dance-drone far more inducing.
From the bleeding organ and cicada chirps on "Motorbike" to the shoulder dropping "For so long", the concise delivery of guitar offers up it's Fogerty/ Karoli vibe of stiff and loose kraut blues. "Aquarian time" marks a slightly more dense sound that (perhaps) demands more weed. It's blissed out sludge is accented by a steady plink of keys.
“proof the San Francisco still throbs to the sound of spirited psychedelia” Mojo
“Captivating…” Uncut
“mindblowing….” NME
“It’s a vaporous, effervescent, mesmeric groove” BBC
“subteraenean cool….” Stool Pigeon
“unashamedly beardy and sweaty, but with a real focus on groove that a lot of modern day Kraut-peddlers are missing - or at least, can't pull off.” Fact Magazine
WOODEN SHJIPS Release 'DOS'
Fricke?s Picks: Wooden Shjips, Tulsa and Your 33 Black Angels