from the 7” EP California Demise, Elephant Six Records, 1994Doused in patchouli with lit joints & sticks of incense gripped firmly in their hands, the Elephant Six Recoding Company took themselves only slightly less seriously than the primordial psych rockers of yore which they so ably conjured---they weren’t here to spread the utopic message of the world’s transformation via LSD, but they sure as hell weren’t trying to be purely ironic either. Olivia Tremor Control (OTC), along with the Apples in Stereo, Elf Power, Of Montreal and OTC drummer Jeff Magnum’s band Neutral Milk Hotel, were here to spread the good news that psych rock didn’t have to die with the ideals of those who initially enjoyed it, and I’ll be damned if they don’t make a thoroughly convincing case for that idea here; this was OTC’s first release, and only the second for the Denver-based label, which was soon to relocate down south to Athens, Georgia. Blurry distortion, melancholic melodies, & a general sense of looseness combine well here, with the focus being put squarely on the music (don’t even bother seeking out the dippy lyrics because the manner in which they are sung is far more relevant, thus echoing their psychedelic forefathers as well).
