Strange Weather

by Levitation Room

Overview

Time can't help but move forward, even if you're cheerfully living in the past, and the band Levitation Room are subject to this rule just like anyone else. On their first two albums -- 2016's Ethos and 2019's Headspace -- they were blissfully fascinated with 1960s garage and psychedelic rock, sounding as if they'd passed through a time gate from 1966, when such things were in their first flower. In 2024, as they released their third LP, Strange Weather, Levitation Room have been transported into the early '70s, as soft rock was becoming the new flavor of the month. Psychedelia is still high on their list of ingredients, as the blissful murmur of Julian Porte's vocals, the buzzy vibe of "Revelations," and the tripped-out breakdowns on "Immortal Love," "Pintura," and "Scene for an Exit" remind us; however, the easygoing flow of the music, the phase-shifted guitars, the chime of the electric piano, and the light but lively melodic sense of these songs suggests we've zoomed past the Summer of Love into the latter days of the first Richard Nixon administration. How much fans will appreciate their timeline jump is likely a matter of personal taste, but Strange Weather shows they're certainly as good at pretending it's the 1970s as they were in willing themselves into the mid-'60s. Julian Porte's songwriting is as strong and assured as ever, Gabriel Fernandez's lead guitar shows an admirable command of the fluid and the crunchy, and bassist Kevin Perez and drummer Jonathan Martin are a confident and agile rhythm section who navigate the many moods of this music with panache. The music flows easily without feeling bland, the production brings out the best in the songs and the musicians, and the lyrics to the closing track, "The Other Side," suggest these guys do know it's 2024 and they're aware of the issues of the day (some of which do have parallels to the late '60s and early '70s). Strange Weather is something new for Levitation Room in its sonic outlook, though from a standpoint of quality, it's the same as always, a gifted and imaginative band stretching their wings and soaring high. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	02/16/2024
Label:	Greenway / Ras
UPC:	0197190333503
Rank:	68850

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Levitation Room   Primary Artist