Accomplished local psych practitioners Low Hums were apparently keeping this beautiful instrumental in their back pockets, waiting for just the right occasion to unleash it upon the world. I’m very happy that kicking off Ball of Wax 41 is that occasion. “The Watermelon Sunn” was recorded along with the songs that went on to make up their wonderful 2014 LP Charm, but is only now seeing the light of day. The band creates music in a few different modes, all broadly falling under the psychedelic umbrella (or mushroom cap, I suppose), from breezy ’60s pop to driving fuzzed-out rock to spacey, hazy tone pieces (and that’s just the first three tracks on Charm), and I celebrate them all. But this glacial dirge – inspired, according to lead Hum Jonas Haskins, “by the Richard Brautigan book In Watermelon Sugar, [which, wow, I definitely need to read] and of course Sunn amplifiers” – really hits my musical pleasure centers, with its thick chords, chiming leads, and general reverb-drenched Earth-y grandeur. I only wish it were about twice as long, but if it were then we wouldn’t have room for the 21 songs to come.
Low Hums have a new EP coming out this month from our friends at Knick Knack Records. Make sure to add it to your next record store shopping list!