Goat // Commune
Mysterious bemasked septet rock out with a deliciously psychedelic take on world music.
In the early nineties, there was a London-based funk-metal band called Goat. They didn’t achieve much, disbanding after one mini-LP. Name aside, they have nowt in common with their Swedish namesakes.
In these days of social media, when celebrities tweet what they have had for breakfast and expect us to give a stuff, the septet remain refreshingly mysterious, from the question marks over their origins to their performing in masks.
Bursting out with 2012’s acclaimed and accurately titled debut World Music, Goat return with second studio LP Commune. As authentic as George Harrison playing the sitar or a trustafarian playing reggae, despite reeking of cultural tourism, the music overpowers such criticism.
From opener Talk To God to closer Gathering Of Ancient Tribes, Goat take the Toureg tenplate of Tinariwen and Tamikrest, mix it with the Mali music of Rokia Traore and Amadou and Mariam, spice it with 70s Turkish psych and Algeria rai then add a goodly dash of European acid rock to create a dense but uplifting sound. It is drone heavy but rich in wah-wah, managing to be soulful, funky and psychedelic.
A sound that it is easy to lose yourself in, almost certainly better live than on record, this is still a fine listen.
Pavlis (8/10)
