Just as with David Brookings, I return to our very early days, a decade ago, when I reviewed The Junipers' Red Bouquet Fair. I've been with them ever since and enjoyed Robyn Gibson's Bob Of The Pops adventures through the period to now.
A new Junipers album is also a reason to celebrate as they bring my beloved Psych Pop back to life. More recently, the quartet have been as interesting as ever, but been a little more mellow. None of that here, this is a real Guitar album, back to earlier days and a full revelation of how great Psych Pop is.
The Solid And The Hollow not only makes an old man very happy, but is also one of the best Psych Pop albums for a long time.The whole thing is beautifully arranged, the instrumentals are works of art and show off Gibson's dulcet tones beautifully.
It really sounds as though it could have been recorded in those hazy 60's days when the genre took off. But there are also hints of the late 80s revival. The album offers up both Beat and the more mellow, but all are arranged perfectly, providing a dreamlike vibe or a killer Psych Beat.
I'm deliberately trying not to mention songs because this is a proper album to be listened to from start to finish. But as you head over you may want to compare the 60s Beat of When She Turns with the wonderful Piano led closing masterpiece that is Moments Of Truth.
In between you get everything that the band is great at, Mellotron, Jangle and stunning mood setters. The Junipers have never released a duff album, but this is more of a Guitar album, a step back to the early days if you like and no one masters Psych Pop like these four. Absolutely Essential!
You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD or as a download.
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