Gayle Ellett & The Electromags: The Painted River of Light

Gayle Ellett & The Electromags are back with their third release in as many years with The Painted River of Light. The disc consists of four extended tracks clocking in at close to 50 minutes. The opening “The Illuminating Sands of Time� should please lovers of the Mellotron, with those keyboard strains opening up the track. Atmospheric moments give way to a psychedelic /space rock vibe when Ellett takes off on his guitar explorations. I find some of the transitions clumsy, and I attribute that to the drumming and arranging. More Mellotron and Moog greet the listener during the opening of “Deep Waters Grow Brightly�. A darker, ominous sound runs through the first section and it morphs from a spacey keyboard section into another guitar jam. I have issues with the flow of the music, to my ears the tracks often sound like separate pieces of music that don’t go together. “Frequency Modulation� is another track where the drums just don’t feel right with the music. Ellett breaks out some sitar tones, and at other times features some really nice legato runs, but the track often has a disjointed clumsiness. “The Rhodes to Discovery� should be a hint of what to expect, featuring some cool guitar moments with that wonderful Rhodes sound.

There are some nice moments; I really enjoy the atmospheric sections. I just don’t feel like the songs are connected, they feel pieced-together. Overall, I would like to hear the arrangements tightened up, better drumming, and have Gayle let his guitar sing.

Track List:
1. The Illuminating Sands of Time
2. Deep Waters Grow Brightly
3. Frequency Modulation
4. The Rhodes to Discovery

Added: February 8th 2025
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 157
Language: english

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