ANGUSTIUM

Dhvani, a self-described "cosmic music project from planet Saturn," are actually from the gorgeous hills of Uscio, Italy, near Genoa. There, in the hidden forests hinted at in the album's cover art, perhaps, lies their headquarters known at "the thirteenth room." Dhvani formed around 2013, and Angustium is their debut full-length release on Psyka Records. They are an all-instrumental, three-piece, neo-psych jamband aiming to take you on a wild journey. The sound of Dhvani is a bright and modern psych/space one that, like the last psych band I reviewed, Da Captain Trips, reminds me of bands like Djam Karet while also connecting with the past on a interstellar level. Italy is becoming a real leader in carrying the torch for modern psych and psych-adjacent soundscapes. They have a nice contrast of heaviness, from distortion/effects-laden guitar leads to softer moments with clean guitar and flute. Their heavy stuff is pretty intense, pretty dense, and they can groove as well with some dirty riffs. There are luxurious keyboard layers and monster bass in the title track. There is also quite a noticeable vibe of '90s Porcupine Tree here, those spacy jams with lots of energy from The Sky Moves Sideways era. I think it will appeal to anyone who loves that PT era. This is a very good first album from Dhvani. Love the album cover too! Looking forward to more chapters from the thirteenth room.