Modern Phenomena – Northern American (Heist or Hit records) reviewed by Dave Franklin

It has always fascinated me how bands from the same geographical location interpret their surroundings through wildly different sounds and styles. Whilst Casey Fallon describes Los Angeles backstreets through a melancholic cinematic haze and Deap Valley lead a charge of raw lo-fi noise, Northern American soak up their city’s more sun kissed, breezy and looser vibes.

Weaving together lucid dreamscapes, reverb soaked guitars and hypnotic rhythms and when they feel the need to light a fire under their music they do so by investing in some serious grooves, rather than merely cranking up the volume. Occasionally you catch snatches of their West Coast heritage, a Byrds guitar refrain or an echo of the baroque pop of Love, but for the main part this is music very much of the here and now and its shimmering vibrancy as much the product of the landscape surrounding Los Angeles as the modern city itself.

Modern Phenomena sounds like the soundtrack to a party as it winds down into the early hours with the city skyline as its backdrop and cool breezes carry the sounds across the rooftops. It reflects the beauty of the city in aesthetic terms rather than try to struggle with its day-to-day realities and it does so through equally beautiful music.