Back in 2004 Now Here Is Nowhere broke The Secret Machines onto the national scene with big retro stomping and laser-blasting futuristic space rock appeal. After a few albums of diminishing returns and guitarist Benjamin Curtis departure from the band, then tragic death, The Secret Machines softly faded away.
Now they return with Awake in the Brain Chamber members Brandon Curtis and Josh Garza have regrouped and partnered with friends past and present to deliver a sleek eight-track offering. The duo received help from musicians Chris Kyle, Brian Bisordi and Sarah Pedinotti, but perhaps most importantly the songs have input from Benjamin Curtis, who contributed thoughts, ideas, and guitar lines before his passing.
It is no secret; these machines work best when the huge repetitive bashing from Garza propels the strings, synths and questioning vocals of Curtis, pushing the full hypnotic groove soaring with wide-open searching energy. The slower numbers tend to dilute the group’s strengths and wear out their welcome but when the band shifts up-tempo they are usually successful.
Opener “1,2,3,4,5 Let’s Stay Alive” kicks off the record pushing in that direction but the bumping psych-rock never ignites off the launch pad. Efforts like the exhilarating pumping of “Everything’s Under” and the crazy drumming/distortion laced “Dreaming Is Alright” are more successful at harnessing the duo’s cosmic synergy. Secret Machines aren’t just rehashing their old formula though, as “Angel Come” uses pulsing bass throbbing, orgasmic background flights, and swirling synths/guitar lines to mess with their typical tropes.
First single “Talos’ Corpse” moves toward a more modern synth dance affected number with beats for late night clubs, but the dull tune never clicks into gear. A better eighties influenced track is the cinematic “Everything Starts” which sways with a neon glow as it gently floats around Benjamin’s guitar lines.
The two numbers wrapping up things incorporate the bands Beatles pop love into their large stomping style as “A New Disaster” injects mild hip-swinging brightness before “So Far Down” incorporates, strings, piano, backing harmonies and orchestration grandiose but cuts off just when it seems things are going to explode over the top. That is one noticeable change on the new album, the more elongated jams have been truncated, while Secret Machines could wander at times, the best moments of the band’s career always went long (“First Wave Intact”, “Alone Jealous & Stoned”) so while these songs are a pleasant return, they do not stack up next to the group’s highpoints.
A surprising reunion, The Secret Machines have successfully opened a new decade with Awake in the Brain Chamber, a comeback album that sounds right at home with their past releases while painting a way forward if the band continues to explore their rock cosmos.
