ANDROMEDA

Almost a rockier, more forceful version of Steve Howe's Tomorrow, Andromeda rank amongst the very finest of British psychedelic groups that emerged during late-sixties, featuring a power- trio set-up that lends much of their material a heavy, gritty feel. Definitely a pre-cursor to the first wave of progressive rock and operating somewhere between the jocular pop-psych of Tomorrow and the dark, brooding menace of early Pink Floyd, Andromeda's debut is a first-rate slice of proto-prog featuring expansive song-writing, skilful interplay and some suitably incoherent sci-fi themes lyrics. Led by guitarist/vocalist John DuCann and also featuring Mick Hawksworth(bass, vocals) and drummer Ian McLane, the group's debut album is highly- recommended for those who prefer the slightly heavier side of psych, though the real surprise here are the strangely catchy melodies that adorn tracks such as 'Now The Sun Shines' and 'Turn To Dust'. The material becomes progressively more ambitious towards the albums second side - the eight-minute mini-epic 'Return To Sanity' features some powerful guitar-and- organ interplay spread over four interlocking sections - yet the group's real strength lies in their ability to insert carefully-hidden pop hooks into their rather avant-garde sound. Recommended to all psych fans, the only real disappointment is that Andromeda stopped after just one album, leaving this self-titled effort as the only proof of their sadly-truncated existence. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012