Gavin Good

The underlying ambience on this record! In a time where hip hop rules supreme, it seems that more and more contemporary rock acts seek to take things back to where the hard riffs began, and the Bright Light Social Hour is one of them with Jude Vol. 1. An opener like “Give To Me Words” gets you right into the action, taking your imagination by the reigns and surprising you with where these guys can go. If you have a space-oriented mind like me, your first thought might be that of Hawkwind, specifically when it transitions to “Lie To Me”. Old-fashioned elements are a sweet surprise, such as the use of brass in “Darling You”. Possibly the most shining quality is the originality of the music. With some acts you might think psychedelic music has “been there, done that”, but the works here are prove the genre is still kickin’ it cool. The use of electronics is a prime example, leaving enough to be heard for the instruments in harmonic accompaniment. A quintessential record for modern psychedelic rock, it aims and makes the target.