Nick riiff's recording career stretches back to 1978, his influences were initially in the area of punk and hard rock, but developed in the direction of psychedelia from the early eighties onwards and so with this current release, the sound of it is the work of a seasoned practitioner. Although the sound is what one would call psychedelic, it also encompasses space rock too, which is in essence of a similar nature, along with some interesting eastern or middle eastern overtones here and there.
'The Hidden Path' gets things going by being something of a psychedelic cum eastern 'calling of the faithful' to sample the treasures within, it's a very powerful and uplifting start.
'Calling You' mixes classic '67 psyche sounds with a heavier rythmn more akin to something that Hawkwind would later employ, so it has an inherent lightness but is very driving too, thus avoiding the frequent pyschedelic trap of being too lightweight and flowery, great stuff!
'Into It' with a simple driving rythmn that propels a spacey trip of a song, and develops via sound scape type background effects and is a very tightly controlled trippy, spacey sonic adventure.
'The World's Alive' sounds like a collision between Maharishi era Beatles and early Pink Floyd and comes out on top as again all the trippy psychedelia is underpinned by tight driving rythmn, which stops it wallowing in the past and allows it to sound vital and up to date. A nicely executed piano figure takes the song to it's conclusion.
'Hovering Just Overhead' tips it's hat to the best examples of space rock, sounds great and enjoys itself along the way too.
'Same Thing Twice' starts off with some nice springy feedback and then morphs into another adventure into outer space with heavy drums, a grungy guitar riff and a liberal sprinkling of found sounds.
'Pre Millenium Transmissions' has an ambient feel to it and again it's hard tight rythmn keeps it focused and enjoyable.
'Dream' is the final number and is the gentlest song on the album and has the most vintage feel to it of all the songs on this album and the perfect song to end on.
If you are intrigued by the thought of the psyche genre, but get put off by the ' flowers and lollipops' aspect of some of it then this album is for you, as the aforementioned has been traded for 'muscles and a mustache' and sounds right up to date even though you get echoes of the past throughout. The World's Alive is thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.
Reviewed by Kevin Wallbank of M100 and Honeymoon on Mars
