There is a subliminal, though obvious arena of humanity that all too often goes ignored, that which lies between our perception of ourselves and our very real connection with nature. Humanity tends to assert dominance over the natural world and envisions ourselves as something separate, superior to flora, fauna, insects, fungi, and microorganisms. On the other hand, the naturalist or at least those of us who occasionally recognize our own space in nature via moments of serenity or inspired by documentaries tend to oversimplify the very complex relationship that we have with the natural world by cynically declaring that we are but a spec in the natural order, an easily removable species momentarily existing on Earth and in the cosmos.
Our brains are wired to accept dualities, the this or that of objectivity, the either/or of choices, free will, determinism, spirituality, religions, philosophy, life, death, permanence and impermanence, etc. Is it folly that we should assume, even with shared knowledge, that our brains can collectively answer all the questions about the nature of life? Do these answers lie in gods or religion? Science? Are they even knowable? Have we fabricated enough fiction to convince ourselves that we can have the knowledge that we seem to pursue, forever?
New York City’s psychedelic rock explorers White Hills explore the complicated realm of duality on their latest effort, Beyond This Fiction. White Hills have also taken a slightly different approach on this record than previous releases. On Beyond This Fiction, the band eschews some of their space rock exploration jams in favor of a leaner, more muscular and succinct approach to blowing your mind. Don’t think you are getting some King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard imitation here. White Hills are still very much indebted to the likes of Hawkwind, Amon Düül II, and Leaf Hound, but tightening up their sound on this outing has resulted in what is one of their most accessible and fun albums to date.
Adorned with washes of gnarly synths, fuzzed-out bass, crunchy guitars and vocal layers, “Throw It Up In The Air” kicks things off. ‘Close your eyes/disengage,’ sings Dave W. His vocals on this album are reminiscent of the kind of New York cool that Lou Reed and Suicide pioneered. The band, meanwhile, is always capable of building dense layers of trippy rock that strike the perfect balance of heady and heavy, dualities be damned. This isn’t jam band feel-goodery, but it isn’t exactly heavy metal, either.
In fact, “Clear As Day,” perhaps owing to its name, almost feels sparse at the start. It is the first time on this album that I am reminded of indie-psych rockers Secret Machines, at least on Now Here Is Nowhere, albeit heavier all around. White Hills virtually sound like they are playing in leather jackets and pants on most of this album, a haze of weed and cigarette smoke lingering in the studio while they consider retracking the synth parts on acid.
“Killing Crimson” stands out as a killer example of this gritty psych rock, catchy, vibrant, and swaggering. ‘We ride between opposites/beyond this fiction we rise/tell me, how did you find out, when did you decide?‘, they ask in a thesis statement for the album.
Beyond This Fiction isn’t all brown acid in grimy NYC alleyways, however. White Hills closes this slab of grooves with a different approach that hangs on the more gentle side of things. “The Awakening” features an ambient synth alongside a meandering synth patch while a spoken word piece reflecting on the same themes this album was built around. It is a lovely meditation, thoughtfully written, with panning effects sending the track through the hemispheres of your brain, connecting them through a sonic dose of DMT.
This is followed by one of the catchiest and infectious tracks I have ever heard from White Hills, the titular “Beyond This Fiction”. Dave W. and Ego Sensation trading and layering their vocals in a hypnotic wave of acid house bass, krautrock synths, and classic rock guitar. This is the second time I am reminded of Secret Machines, in that this an infectious interplay between straightforward, toe-tapping grooves and stunning tapestries of sound.
Beyond This Fiction is a deeply enjoyable album, thoughtful and exploratory without being weighed down by the trappings of meandering and trance-inducing excursions. White Hills benefits from these brevities and blesses us with an endearing album that ticks a lot of boxes for those who want to explore the depth of unanswerable thoughts while having a damn good time.
