Stories to Tell

Records with a story are great for reviews because it gives the reviewer a chance to tell the reader more than just how great or terrible something is. Earthless’s In a Dutch Haze is one of these “story records” where the background is almost as long as the album itself.

In 2009 an impromptu jam happened at a South by Southwest show that had Earthless, the psych-rock heavyweights, headlining. They called on a guest to join them for this jam, and that guest turned out to be J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. What happened next was something special; people were talking about it for weeks. It go so much attention in the psych scene that this lineup was asked to play a festival in Holland called Roadburn.

Years later in 2012 Earthless was scheduled to play the Roadburn Festival when their guitarist, Isaiah Mitchell, had to back out due to unforeseen circumstances. With that vacancy, Earthless asked Graham Clinse to fill the void. Graham plays with Mascis in a band called Heavy Blanket as well as other projects that Mascis fills his time with. With Clinse in place, Mascis decided to join them, and the rest is captured on In a Dutch Haze.

For a bit under an hour, you get a chance to enjoy the some of best jamming you will ever hear. There are no lyrics, just music. Mascis, who is revered for his loud guitar tone, is masterful here. The drummer of Earthless, Mario Rubalcaba, is a beast from the beginning of the set till the end. The set has has some lulls, but mostly it’s a bluesy psych jam that goes full throttle from the onset. Think Black Sabbath without Ozzy, jamming for an hour.

There really isn’t much to say about this set other than the fact that when you name it “Paradise in a Purple Sky,” you’re not too concerned with what anyone has to say about it. If you enjoy your music loud and jam based, then this record is for you and whatever you have to take to enjoy the tunes. There is one thing that is for certain; the stories that the people who saw this show will be telling will be told for ages.