NOVA DRIVE - Headtrip
Headtrip by Nova Drive is one of the most unconventional albums I've been listening to for a long time. First of all, it's very unusual to begin with a cover version. Their spacy version of David Bowie's Andy Warhol works extremely well as it's not too close to the original, but it's nevertheless possible to recognize it.
Their own material isn't worse. Black Haired Man is a strange track starting with a hypnotical loop before getting much harder with a fuzzy guitar and weird organs. I Come To Say Goodbye has a calmer start and a cool retro sound like Procol Harum. Later on this song gets much more psychedelic with a long guitar solo. Vampire is the album's smoothest track, sounding like Morcheeba meeting Ozric Tentacles. My My My is a cool mixture of stoner and space rock which is not always easy to digest. Towards the end, the album loses some speed. And I Cried, which contains some Frank Zappa lyrics (yet not a cover version this time), is floating like lava. The album's last track, the eight minute running blues improvisation This Day, is the only disappointing track.
It's a bit a pity that this track spoils a bit the good impression the Nova Drive debut started with. All songs are quite long (mostly between six and seven minutes) and contain enough diversity. Furthermore singer Suse Michel (ex-Slags) has a fantastic voice reminding me of Patti Smith. Everyone who appreciates retro orientated rock music (stoner, space, psychedelic, kraut) shouldn't miss this excellent debut by Nova Drive.