Aura Blaze - Aura Blaze (Full Album) Lush vocal harmonies, soaring guitars, swirling organs, epic orchestral passages... All of this and more describe Lebanon Township, New Jersey psychedelic rock act Aura Blaze, fronted by vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Rhode Rachel. Infusing the timeless vibes of the 60's and 70's in a catchy and memorable brand of psych rock, Aura Blaze carries one back to the high times of The Doors, Pink Floyd, and Strawberry Alarm Clock while simultaneously tripping through the hallucinogenic atmosphere akin to modern psych revival bands such as Tame Impala, The Black Angles, and Temples. This is their self titled debut album. released in 2015.
“Life is a Lucid Dream” sounds like a late Beatles song. There’s plenty of existential dilemmas presented. The vocal harmonies are really outstanding, crafting a wonderful psych rock style that feels like it could have been recorded in the 60s. The following “It’s a Ride” has some really cool elements to it, which is how the band won their way to this review. My favorite part of the track is the glowing guitar that leads to the killer vocal harmonies. It sounds like another time, but also feels really fresh and new. A Glass of Tears Half Empty” is a dynamic psych rock track. The song rises and swells with pure rock energy. Then the following “The Velveteen Valleys” takes off in another cinematic direction, conjuring images of bucolic places. The style must be terribly difficult to compose and create, but it makes for a playground for the ears.
