Mind Renovation
Gripless/ Remote Control Records
Liam McGorry, of Saskwatch fame, gathers together a 15-piece ensemble for his new band, Dorsal Fins. Eschewing soul in favour of an indie-rock palette the group has captured the energy of psychedelic rock while not being bound to it’s tropes. Mind Renovation is the gratifying result of a side project gone right.
Hidden away amongst the psychedelia are songs which are as exciting as they are anomalous. The poppy synths of Heart On The Floor make you want to stamp your feet. The guitar riffs in Sun & Stars could be lifted directly from a Japanese video game.
As they shift between psych-rock and a range of eclectic genres, from the powerful spoken word of Jacqueline to the ethereal ballad of Fell, it feels like we’re discovering secret tracks rather than following a simple progression through the album.
Consistent throughout is the Dorsal Fins’ dynamic horn section, which ties the album together when it might otherwise feel disjointed. McGorry’s influence as a trumpeter comes through strongly to complement rather than clutter. It elevates the good songs and makes the great ones even better.
This fusion is what makes Mind Renovation work. The band trust each other’s skills enough to experiment with a vast array of genres, and the audience enough to appreciate it.
JAMES ROSS
