By Jonny Bakes
Psychedelic rock has always had a special place in my heart because I love the way it can really whisk you away from reality for just a little while. Sometimes it takes you away to a different place, and other times it invokes feelings and sensations. But the best way to really get into a good psych album is to get comfortable, remove distractions and let it envelop you, and that’s exactly what I did with ‘Al-Mahruqa’.
‘Al-Mahruqa’ has been five years in the making and by all accounts has been a difficult birth for French Psych-Rockers Pelegrin. But now that they have successfully pulled this one out of the bag, we’re assured that we won’t have to wait anywhere near as long for the sequel, which I think is fantastic news. For a simple three-piece, these guys manage to pack a huge amount of sound into this impressive debut and if they continue this momentum we could see something special. But if you’re thinking about trying to catch Pelegrin live, I wouldn’t hold your breath in the short term as the guys have already hidden themselves away in their own little bubble away from stages to really let those ideas fly. But enough about where things are going, let’s talk about where Al-Mahruqa took me on my adventure.
Within the opening seconds of the album you are whisked away to some form of Arabian marketplace full of hustle and bustle. ‘Majoun’ is a great example of blending musical cultures, a psychedelic guitar riff is paired with traditional hand drumming and other Eastern musical sounds. It really is impressive how strongly this invokes the images from the very start of the album, you can almost smell the stench of camels and feel the heat of the stifling air.
And it doesn’t let up from there, through each of the five tracks on the album you continue on your musical adventure. ‘Farewell’ takes a more mellow turn that portrays a real melancholic sensation, interspersed with some heavy downtuned chugging that almost feels like a mix of anger, frustration and sadness. I’d say that’s probably quite fitting for a song that’s clearly about saying goodbye and letting go before naturally leading into ‘Home Again’. There’s less of the Eastern influence in these tracks which fits with the narrative that is portrayed – of leaving things behind and returning home.
Have no fear though, those Eastern sounds are back in abundance as the album culminates in the title track ‘Al-Mahruqa’. This ten-minute epic is bombastic, it’s catchy and has more going on than an Arabian spice market. There’s so much variety in this song that it starts to stray into the realms of prog and with the frequent changes in tempo it becomes almost disorientating. After finishing this song I was left sat in silence for a moment trying to remember that I wasn’t walking the crowded streets of Marrakech.
It’s not unusual for French and Arabian cultures to mix, particularly when you consider the number of Arabic speaking African countries that have formerly been French territories (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia for example.) You do often see elements of these culture engrained in French culture now and I think this album is a perfect example of this as it perfectly blend the sound of the East and the West into this great psychedelic musical journey.
So, to sum things up, this album is full of Eastern promise and is a fantastic example of the psych rock genre. Even if this isn’t normally your thing, I would encourage you to give it a go as I think everyone will find something a little different in ‘Al-Mahruqa.’ It’s safe to say that Pelegrin have truly hit the ground running with their debut release and I’m definitely excited to see what will come of the sequel to this album!
- ‘Al-Mahruqa’ is released today (Friday 13 September). You can get your copy HERE.
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