Back from the Future?

Thrust into an era of modern psychedelia, today’s pop music fans are being spoon-fed their daily dose of Woodstock through indie acts like MGMT and The Black Keys. The self-titled debut of psych-rock group Dust Galaxy isn’t afraid to sound spacey or even grungy at times yet doesn’t give in to the folk some indie artists rely on so heavily. The opening track, “Sun in Your Head,” begs to turn listeners on with delayed funk grooves, occasional organs, and almost unnoticeable sitar plucks. Next on the trip is “Limitless,” which starts off like The Kinks sharing a tea party with California’s Cake. Lead singer (of Thievery Corporation fame) Rob Garza’s talk-singing clashes with the ‘60s L.A. ambience, enforced by Doors-y organ leads, and brings about attitude with an almost vintage ‘90s flair.

“Mother of Illusion” displays what “Sun in Your Head” had to offer, but this time with the same, slightly out-of-place talk-singing from “Limitless,” while “It’s All Yours” marks the return of the sitar. Garza’s vocals feel at home as the trip-out plateaus to another India-friendly piece, “River of Ever Changing Forms.”

“Sons of Washington” is a dub/reggae chill-out session minus the faux-Jamaican toasting. The album closes out with the simple and sweet “Crying to the Night,” which bears a slight resemblance to The Velvet Underground’s “Sunday Morning” with actual singing and less talking. Dust Galaxy is almost a decent debut for a revival of ‘60s culture, but tired sounds bring the album down a few notches in versatility.