(c) Yawning Balch
Presented about four months ago Yawning Balch a masterpiece of the art of improvisation. On “Volume One,” the members of Yawning Man and Bob Balch of Fu Manchu came together for an oversized jam session that took place back in November 2022 in Joshua Tree National Park. When the first part was released, it became known that that wasn’t all… and the quartet is now making exactly this threat come true. „Volume Two“ presents three more extra-long beads.
The entire A-side belongs to a piece that, for Balch, has parallels to “Dreaming With Eyes Open” from the first part: Well over 18 minutes are allocated to “A Moment Expanded (A Form Constant)”, which is cleverly fueled by appearance and reality , seeks self-realization and finds (only) madness. Everything begins so well-behaved and inconspicuous, almost dreamy – in keeping with the mantra of the parallel piece. As usual, Yawning Balch move forward slowly and carefully, with the warm-hearted, extremely present bass standing out in particular. In the final minutes the mystical aura increases and takes you into unimagined distances.
“Flesh Of The Gods”, the first song recorded during the Joshua Tree session, is already waiting there. Here too, caution is exercised, but there is a lot of simmering behind it. Once again the bass takes on playful to monolithic dimensions, seems almost jazzy and cheeky, while the drums move forward stoically and the psychedelic guitars slowly but surely move towards a gripping finale. “Psychic Aloha” is already lurking there, repeatedly shot through with angry heaviness and comparatively loud. Here the trio goes out of their way, turns up the amplifiers and lets the loops escalate – a musical feast.
No big surprise: Yawning Balch easily maintain the quality of its predecessor with the next gripping mega-jam that takes you into endless expanses. “Volume Two” covers the entire musical range of the Makeshift quartet, finding access to quiet and psychedelic moments, but also leaving room for roasting, destructive heaviness. The mix is right and captivating, from the first to the last second. Bob Balch has already expressed interest in a sequel – it wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: November 3rd, 2023
Available via: Heavy Psych Sounds Records (Cargo Records)
Website: yawningman.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/yawningmanofficial
Category: Magazin, Reviews