The Well - Pagan Science (2016)

The impressive crux of Pagan Science, the sophomore album by Austin trio The Well, is that It's a multiplicity of itself. From the band's dual male/female vocals to their transcendently timeless sounds and erudite lyrical themes, Pagan Science is crystalline in its complexity and clarity at the same time. The Well walk an intriguing line between authentic early 70s doom/heavy psych and the more frayed-edge-of-sanity weirdness of their hometown's legendary noise rock scene, whilst also splicing in shades of chamber choir vocals, occult rock and dark folk. Sonically, Pagan Science picks up where The Well bassist/vocalist Lisa Alley, guitarist/ vocalist Ian Graham and drummer Jason Sullivan left off with their widely heralded 2014 RidingEasy debut Samsara. Here, the band's heavy psych, proto-metal sound growing evermore vast, yet more focused on hooks, and their lyrics more conceptually intricate. Part of a running thread throughout the album's introspective lyrics is the notion that the world outside of one's own mind is also a creation and reflection of the interior world of that mind. And, just like the band s sound is one thing (undeniably heavy) and simultaneously another (dark folk, blues... there's even a Crosby, Stills & Nash cover, 'Guinnevere'), it's this multiplicity that makes Pagan Science such a captivating record.