February 9, 2020 by A.S. Van Dorston

While I’m in a constant state of excitement about music, both new discoveries (recently The Homesick and Real Terms) and old (William Eaton’s new age guitar jams from 1978, Link Wray’s 3-Track Shack sessions from 1971-72 that seemed to set the template for Exile On Mainstreet), being taken by surprise and blown away is still a relatively rare, precious experience.

We Here Now are a multinational band consisting of Indrayudh Shome from Philadelphia via India, Hong Kong and Singapore, guitarist Pedro ‘Sozinho’ Salvador (from Brazilian band Necro) and drummer Panchito El Sofista of Peruvian psych band Montibus Communitas. Shome served as vocalist and guitarist in stoner doom Queen Elephantine since 2006, and is also a filmmaker. All three members contribute vocals.

Their Bandcamp site reads, “For fans of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, GOAT, Thee Oh Sees, Altin Gün, Ty Segall.” While global garage psych is a useful umbrella, there’s so much more going on. I hear some Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band (who the band nods to with the passage, “emanating fast n’ bulbous sounds”), Talking Heads & Brian Eno’s initial experiments fusing William Burrough’s cut-up techniques, post-punk and Afrobeat in My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (1981), even Adrian Belew era King Crimson prog.

But it’s not the outernational flavors that make this special, but the jaw-dropping musicianship and band chemistry that results in such a joyfully exuberant, explosive sound. “Gathering and Separation” roughs up Afrobeat and Juju polyrhythms with bludgeoning drums and frenetic intertwined guitar lines, contrasted by relaxed, dreamy vocal melodies floating on top. “Detachments” features guitar harmonies that pull from classical South Asian melodies, which has been a staple for psychedelic rock since The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High.” What makes it special is the fuzzy tones contrast with the disciplined musicianship, like if Cream delved more into Indian influenced garage psych.

The 21:24 runtime of this EP is just long enough for a satisfying trip, but short enough that it leaves you hungering, if not slavering for more. Here’s hoping We Here Now are here to stay.

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