Black Willows - Haze (Full Album) Self-released in a six-panel foldout digipak that includes a poster, the debut album from Swiss foursome Black Willows strikes an immediately curious impression. Haze reaches upwards of 70 minutes and finds its crux in sometimes-droning psychedelic repetitions, slowed down space rock and periodic bouts of riffnosis. By the time Haze has started, past the buzzing noise of the two-minute title-track intro, itās readily apparent that the band will be taking their time. Since usually this kind of thing comes coated in greens, yellows, reds and oranges, itās something of a surprise Black Willows didnāt go total-spectrum in the layout. The greyscale gives Haze ā which was recorded in the sunny clime of Austin, TX ā an individual edge before you even press play. Perhaps thatās the point ā itās what everyone else does, so they did the opposite ā but either way, thereās a moody underpinning for the echoing vocals of āDoors of Perceptionā as a result, some Dead Meadow shoegaze meeting heavy psych jam payoffs in slowed down subspace.
Yet Haze doesnāt really work any other way. Nothing with a flow as consistent or as engaging as that which Black Willows concoct over the course of these songs is meant to be taken one song at a time. It would be sacrilege, and not the good kind. And yet, so sit and pick apart every move each song is making during a complete-album listen misses the point, which is to let yourself be taken by the aforementioned flow ā they position it thusly, āā¦the user may experience anything from subtle changes in perception to overwhelming cognitive shiftsā ā and allow the songs to wash over a willing subconscious. So song-by-songing isnāt the thing, and what Haze really requires is a careful balance of consciousness and unconsciousness ā but even more than that, it requires space to breathe and run its extended course.
āVelvet Diamondā continues the laid-back exploratory feel as verses give way to repeat-repeat jamming that patiently enacts a build, but just when it seems like the track is going to hit its apex, it hits right into the intro of the following āSet Us Free,ā essentially starting over from scratch. These ebbs and flows only really stand out if youāre paying (too) close attention, and after about two and a half-minutes, the guitars stand alone joined in a quick lead line announcing the arrival of the droning verse, some Om-style vibe pervading not so much in the vocals as in the riff itself, which again is kept directed by Monicaās drumming, slow fills giving enough edge to the riffs that they almost seem to be in motion. Putting Haze over the top is the 14:37 closer āDead Mantra,ā basically an album unto itself with from-silence-to-chaos jumps and intertwining guitar lines that only add to the wash, again vaguely reminiscent of some of Elderās latter day progressions when it hits its loudest. Black Willows should have no trouble implanting themselves in the cortex of the underground, remaining there for the duration and leaving a positive impression when it decides to move on to the next lobe.
