Sonic Space: The Blank Tapes
California native Matt Adams smokes a lot of marijuana. This is something he wants you to know, or at least it’s something you wouldn’t be surprised to learn after a simple perusal of the track list for his newest album “Geodesic Dome Piece” (2015). With titles as subtle as “Way Too Stoned,” “Magic Leaves” and “4:20,” the album seems like it’s auditioning to be the soundtrack to “Pineapple Express" (2008).
Of course, with classic lines such as “It’s the best/ bong rips for breakfast” and “Oh me, oh my/ It’s 4:20 and I’m going wanna get high,” the stoner shtick can get a little tiring. It’s disappointing that Adams doesn’t expand the scope of this album beyond “Isn’t marijuana fun? I want some, also I just had some,” but the album is decidedly more complex than it’s subject matter, even if some of the lyrics sound like the witticisms your obnoxious stoner cousin muttered under his breath last Thanksgiving. Tracks are expansive —“Way Too Stoned,” the album’s opener, recalls the more spacey vibes of the 80s psychedelic folk-rock comeback era and “Buff,” another standout, runs its course with a jumpy deconstructed disco beat that Adams has paired a wailing, distorted guitar and rapid fire drumming. Across the board, a number of tracks evoke the surfy-stoney beach rock of the 1960s in all the best ways.
All in all, the thematic elements of “Geodesic Dome Piece” wear out pretty quickly. But the intricate instrumentation and all around chill vibe of this album still make it a fun time. It’s maybe not what you’d pull out at a family party, but it’s perfectly nice to get a little wavy to.