Monday, April 17, 2023

Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel - When the Morning Greets You With a Smile


 #Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel #psychedelic rock #psychedelic pop rock #neo-psychedelia #garage rock #alternative rock

Four years on from their debut album, LA Psych quintessentialists, Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel deliver a thoughtful and enticing experience in the 13-track work When The Morning Greets You. From a quick scan over, it is fair to say that Mr. Elevator has pulled out all the stops to deliver a wholesome spectacle. For fans of The Coral, Allah-Las, Pink Floyd, and Mystic Braves. From the start 'When The Morning Greets You with A Smile' the band are on it. Zesty vocals moving around a skippy bright drums/bass and organ groove. This song gets better with every turn with The Doors style bridge. While the chorus is vast and enrapturing, especially when the three-part harmony vocal line "And she's so fine" arrives. Again we hear a similarly skippy vibe with 'Madeline', which smiles all over the place, via the electric piano, bubbly bass, and enthusiastic drumming. The chorus has a melodic and harmonic feel not dissimilar to The Hollies mid 60's work. Beat rhythms and sugary Davey Jones vocals lead the way on the slightly distant 'Sunshine Daydream'. There is some mellotron like lines present which warp and warble cheerfully. 'Dreamer' has classic fuzz organ stomp, oompah bass and glam rock shuffle drums under a very Monkees formula, and pounding keys led groover 'Are You Hypnotized?' awakens rather than lulling, there are moments of late 70's British Two-Tone on here. The candyman-ish dull ghoulish piano 'A Lullaby' would have been an ideal sound shot for the end of last year. Leveling and pulling is the cosmic comedown Pink Floydful 'Intro' , moving into the dimly-lit 'Cosmic Bloom' a speedy Doors latin groove with grimy guitars, spacey organ flurries, under ghostly vocals.The energy intensifies via the powerhouse drums 'Fuzz Phantom', with hyped-up organ under Marc Bolan-ish whining. It has some sort of dramatised retro space crisis, think the late 60's/early 70's sci-fi TV programs. The robotic sonic expanse 'Tears Of Green' terrifies truly, like an imaginary galactic empirical marching anthem. For fans of the likes of Temples and Kula Shaker, here is a gem of a tune, mid-tempo drum beat, organs surround and drive forward, under exquisite three-part harmonies exploring the freedom mantra 'Let Me Be'. It really takes you away from life's current intense environment and the 'Let Me Be (Outro)', sees drums quick double-time march forward in a Doors style organ crescendo. The mellow dreamy, 'Ending' moves in an uncanny similarity, melodically to 'All Across The Universe', and that is fine as it revives the song's overwhelming essence.  From: https://soundblab.com/reviews/albums/17251-mr-elevator-when-the-morning-greets-you