PSYCHEDELIC TEATIME

This is one of the reviews which I should have written when I suddenly stopped writing reviews for about 2 years, but I remember well this album and some controversial discussions that it raised.

This is almost a one-man project of the multi-instrumentist Lutz Meinert. The first thing to notice is that he plays well all the instruments that he uses. Usually. artists of this kind have at least a weakness. This is not the case. The influence is mainly Floydian, but as often happens, if one is not very mimic and uses more "modern" sounds, the result can differ quite a lot from just a Floydian excersize.

The initial suite is effectively opened by sounds which remind to the famous "ping" of Rick Wright on Echoes, but it goes elsewhere and the only analogy with the Pink Floyd masterpiece is the length. I think that having released it as separate tracks was the right choice because more than a suite it sounds like a concept in 5 parts.

Psychedelic Underground - The short trip reveals what was one of the arguments of discussion when the album was released: the vocals and the song structure very similar to Phideaux. Lutz was concerned because somebody wrote about his "Phideaux-like" vocals as to the weakest thing of the album, so weak to jeopardize it. I remember to have written to Lutz saying that I wouldn't consider it a weakness because I LIKE PHIDEAUX, so I sent him some links where to listen to it.

Going on, the instrumental parts of the two following tracks can remind to bands like Ozric Tentacles or even some Porcupine Tree, just to give an idea, but this is what I call the "Post Pink Floyd" sound. There's a big number of artists, also acclaimed, that fit in this category. I think to Steven Wilson for example.

The album is closed by the "long trip" of Psychedelic Underground. Yes, it's sounds close to Phideaux, but I can guarantee that Lutz has listened to Phideaux for the first time only when I have sent him the links, so it's juts a coincidence due to the similar timbric of his voice.

Of course this album can have more appeal for Floyd fans, but you don't need to think to Pink Floyd to enjoy it also because it's not totally Floydian. In the end, after several relistens, I think that the Phideaux part is the one I enjoy more. Psychedlic Underground is a very good song and its catchy melody can persist in your ears for some time.

A good 3-stars album waiting for the next auspicable effort.