ALLAH-LAS

n the last 15 years, Allah-Las have alchemically fused surf-rock with folk-rock jangle and rock, building their acclaimed music podcast Reverberation Radio and their record label Calico Discos. But a lot has changed since Matthew Correia (drums, vocals), Spencer Dunham (bass, guitar, vocals), Miles Michaud (guitar, organ, vocals) and Pedrum Siadatian (guitar, synthesizer, vocals) first came together in the back room of Amoeba Records in the late 1980s.

On Zuma 85, the quartet confronts a new world with a wealth of new sounds fed by an eclectic mix of progressive rock, prog, cosmic and Eno-esque art rock, quirky Royal Trux riffs and forays into tones and textures reminiscent of 90s and 2000s pop. For most of the band's existence, Allah-Las stuck to a schedule of one album and one tour a year. When the 2020 lockdown put everything on hold, it opened up the opportunity for each member to focus on their own interests and reimagine what a creative process could look like. When it came time to get back together, this sense of looseness proved crucial. Instead of bringing finished songs to the studio, they met with sketches, ideas and riffs. Working with co-producer Jeremy Harris (White Fence, Devendra Banhart, Sam Gendel), the new album was created in three sessions in real time. It was unlike anything the band had ever recorded, but felt completely natural.

The Allah-Las leave familiar beach territory to venture into the far reaches off the map, absorbing the influence of late-era Lou Reed and John Cale, '70s mutant pop from Peter Ivers and early Eno and Roxy Music, There are cosmic zones, like the Popol Vuh-reminiscent "Hadal Zone", anthemic and electronic boogies like "The Stuff" and "Sky Club", and arch prog in tracks like "GB BB" and "Smog Cutter". " On the instrumental title track "Zuma 85", field recordings and glockenspiel precede Manuel Göttsching (Ash Ra) style guitars that drift aquatically over a motorik rhythm and hazy synths.


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