Invisible White

The third album by Los Angeles psychedelic/stoner rock band Ancestors is their mellowest release to date. The surging Uriah Heep/Deep Purple side of their sound has been tamped down in favor of acoustic guitars and long synth tones very much reminiscent of Pink Floyd circa Meddle and Live at Pompeii. "Invisible White" and "Dust," the two seven-minute songs that make up the first half, are mostly built out of strummed guitar melodies, Mellotron hum, and fragile two- and three-part vocal harmonies. The drumming is boxy and slow, establishing a pulse rather than driving the music forward. The third and final track, the 14-minute instrumental "Epilogue," is an expansive mood piece akin to Pink Floyd's "Echoes"; it starts off with creepy, atmospheric piano before a fuzzed-out guitar riff and tribal drums kick in. Eventually, extremely David Gilmour-esque guitar solos begin to emerge from the morass, as analog synths whirl and swirl in the background. This is an album meant to be heard from a comfortable chair; the always historically conscious Ancestors (note the name) are doing the best work of their career, and fans of early-'70s progressive rock will be very glad to hear it. ~ Phil Freeman