It's finally here: the comeback record after 8 years following their last comeback record Psychsploitation. They've refocused back on a trad surf sound with a simple, melodic riff-based focus. For a 3-guitar lineup, they keep it surprisingly organized and patient, with those extra layers just making that surf sound deeper. Listening to this on vinyl (more on that in a sec), the combination of those three guitars in unison with a great natural reverb, and top-notch engineering is heavenly for a trad surf guitar nut. That's helped by a perfectly recorded bass compliment, and some explosive drums. It sounds like a faithful vintage surf record with all the fidelity those records rarely get.
The album art would suggest that this might have a creepy edge to it, but I don't think I'd say that. There's some light-hearted ones on here as well as some darker ones, but think dark as in the Astronauts' Kuk, not dark as in The Ghastly Ones. If you've followed this blog for a while, you might have picked up that I tend to bias towards the faster, trashier stuff, but surprisingly it was the hip-wading "Creep Beat" that first really caught my ear, though the title track "Siniestro" is an undeniable standout. Really, if you've enjoyed a Satan's Pilgrims record in the past, I can't imagine you wouldn't like this one. That goes for any amount of trad surf appreciation, really.
So yeah, the vinyl. Siniestro's LP sleeve is printed on velvet, which is a first in my record collecting career (though Beach House has has a similarly touchable record). It's neat! It's also on CD. Both are available on their website. And of course there's bandcamp
