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is stoner rock. Coming three years after his debut solo album, John Garcia has toned down the fuzz for ‘The Coyote Who Spoke In Tongues’, as he goes full acoustic. A mix of laid back acoustic and, in places, angry acoustic. Basically, as far away from Ed Sheeran and every other twat with an acoustic guitar that is clogging up the airwaves as we speak. ‘Kylie’ is full on angry acoustic. Ehren Groban throttles the life out of his acoustic guitar as Garcia howls at the moon. ‘Kum Ba Yah’ it most certainly is not. During the five minutes, Garcia changes tactics constantly. The middle segment is relaxed and trippy with some soothing latin guitar, but soon gives way to more frantic strumming. Very cinematic in it’s execution, the track benefits from some tasty percussion from Greg Saenz, almost tribal in places. ‘Give Me 250ml’ has a rehearsal room vibe about it, like a band trying out new material before heading into the booth to lay it down full-on electric. Garcia sounds in great voice as he brings his world-weary rasp to the party. ‘The Hollingsworth Session’ has a stunning guitar sound throughout, changing tempo on numerous occasions. It’s soft when it needs to be and, in places, is quite Morricone-esque. The low bass growl from Mike Pygmie, coupled with Saenz’s percussion, creates a smouldering atmosphere. I swear that I heard a fucking didgeridoo in there somewhere!. ‘Argleben II’ is a continuation of a track from Garcia’s self-titled debut, and is a front runner for standout track on ‘…Coyote’. A blissful five minutes with some beautiful arrangements that help the track soar. A track that simply gets better with each listen. John Garcia’s previous work is represented with stripped back, minimalistic versions of four Kyuss tracks; ‘Green Machine’, ‘Space Cadet’,’Gardenia’ and ‘El Rodeo’. Simplistic versions that stop you in your tracks as a flicker of recognition registers. ‘Gardenia’, in particular, is a track that spews forth from the speakers in all it’s fuzzed up glory. It couldn’t possibly work unplugged and slowed down? Think again sucker! Garcia totally transforms the song into a shortened and subtle piece of work. The version of ‘Space Cadet’ is perhaps the truest to the original, whereas ‘El Rodeo’ always had an air of mystery surrounding it. The doomy riffs on the original change to a middle eastern vibe on Garcia’s solo version. The sparse vocals are fraught and add to the tension that the music has cooked up. The melodies are the same, but without the wall of noise behind them. Again, the arrangements are stunning. An album for all seasons, from a man for all seasons. Worthy of anyone’s attention. Available now through Napalm Records Review: Dave Stott ]]>
