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Building on their debut’s successful formula, Toronto’s Quest for Fire have released another trippy psych gem. There’s no doubt most of these tunes were built out of jams, but they’re far from formless or haphazard. Given the slow tempos and ethereal vocals, the album washes over you, though careful listens reveal extra layers of texture rising from the mist.
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QFF still know their way around a slow-building drone, and while they’ve never done it better than on the nearly eight-minute opener, The Greatest Hits By God, the shuffly Strange Vacation and hooky acoustic-based (!) Psychic Seasons could almost pass for straight-up classic rock songs if not for the distinctive atmospherics. The album’s not quite as heavy as its predecessor, but there are enough down-tuned riffs and effects-laden solos to satisfy old fans.
Top track: The Greatest Hits By God
Quest for Fire play an album release show September 4 at the Horseshoe.
