INSIDE THE GARDENS OF THE MIND

The next time you want to Netflix and Chill, you might consider, as an alternative, Music and Chill. The album "Inside the Gardens of the Mind" by Melting Euphoria would be an excellent vehicle for that activity. Put your feet up, close your eyes, and let their music tell you a story.

Melting Euphoria is very good at weaving a flowing tapestry of sound waves that propel your imagination along endless mental trips. Their music is not aimlessly rambling, nor is it slow, arrhythmic and droning. Melting Euphoria's music is composed of well conceived, coherent passages with purpose and intent -- unlike many instrumental efforts that are a melange of random passages pasted incongruously together. Their expressed moods and ideas remain consistent throughout each track, taking the listener on a smooth, uninterrupted sonic journey. During your ride, you may hear influences of Secret Saucer, Ozric Tentacles, Hawkwind, or Oresund Space Collective, to name just a few.

Drumming by Michael Merrill is perfectly attuned with the energy of the rest of the band. It is neither flamboyant nor passive. Alas, Michael passed away in 2006. Bass play by Anthony Budziszewski is often forefront and outstanding -- in other words, it stands out! Guitar work by the duo of DeFM and Bob Clic is sublimely psychedelic, smooth, warm, spacey, and trippy, without too much (if any) fuzz, distortion, or overdrive. Moog playing by Zero Devilin keeps things spacey, with lots of atmospheric VCO sweeps and synth bubbles, in addition to the cosmic leads.

Two tracks, in particular are noteworthy. Firstly, the track entitled "Arwr Rhithwelediad" is Welsch for "Heroic Hallucination", which you will appreciate upon listening. And the track "To Shade My Mad Existence" begins with the echoing voices of a madhouse. The fun is in trying to decipher the psychotic babbling, before it evolves into a heavy psych piece with touches of Hawkwind, especially in bass and percussion.

Overall, there is lots of depth and character in this album. No player takes a back seat or hides in the background. You can listen a thousand times and hear something new and interesting each time. This album is engaging -- if you care to close your eyes and listen. Music and chill. Four stars.