Quatrain
(Sundazed Music)
Obscure even by the standards of the most rabid, paisley-drooling fanatic, Quatrain were a late-60s psychedelic rock outfit whose one lone album, produced by Neil Young bud David Briggs, commands major coin on the collector's market. Now the curious no longer have to take out a third mortgage to hear the band's self-titled 1969 album: Quatrain is a solid collection of period rock with folk influences, with a bit of jazz-wonk creeping in around the edges.
Songs like "Flowing Robes" offer up tasty, angular fretwork and wiggy lyricism, while "Ask Me No Questions" blends esoteric instrumentation with bluesy, Butterfield-styled riffing. Unlike many bands of the era, there are no free-form freakouts on display, just concise, to-the-point three-minute rockers that deliver the goods and get the hell out. Sundazed has tacked on eight bonus tracks to the original twelve, making this a fine purchase for fans of the late-‘60s psych-rock sound.
Standout Tracks: "Unconquered Islands," "Flowing Robes" REV. KEITH A. GORDON
