Lorelle Meets The Obsolete: Datura (Sonic Cathedral)

Making their name as psych rock specialists, Mexican duo Lorelle Meets The Obsolete return with a retooled sound on sixth LP Datura. Named after a nocturnal-blooming flower the set is ideally titled, as the disc is the darkest the outfit have issued to date.

Comprising of Lorena Quintanilla, vocals, guitars and Alberto González, guitars, synths, Datura trades in the long form garage rock informed psychedelia of yore for shorter, spikier missives with a greater emphasis on synths and rhythmic undertow. Inspired by the “live in the room” ethos of Get Back, the vast majority of the album was recorded in real time with minimal overdubs, a facet underlined by Besnard Lakes co-leader Jace Lasek’s spacious mixes.

Dínamo and Arco are barbed treats, combining abrasive textures with conventional song structures, while the title track sees Quintanilla accompanied by what sounds akin to the stop-start rhythms of heavy machinery. Rhythmically, the LP marks a huge advance for the outfit courtesy of Andrea Davì’s interlocking drum tracks and Fernando Nuti’s scything basslines. Shafts of light appear periodically, the synth bolstered chorus of Invisible and the uplifting motifs of Dos Noches which showcases Davì’s relentless, machine-like drumming.

The highlight arrives with death disco earworm Golpe Blanco, the sound of being chased by street toughs through early 80s New York in the small hours before taking refuge in a punk / industrial club where the band are performing. Óvalo, the most caustic track present is a misfire, proving slightly too scabrous. A bracing rush, despite its forbidding atmosphere Datura’s astringent charm becomes apparent on repeat listens. 4/5