Coke Weed - Back to Soft

Coke Weed, a reference to some Colombian marching powder and some smokes or to one of the world's biggest commodities and a pathetic individual? Without casting assertions, their self-released Back to Soft is indebted to the former rather than the later, with the majority of their creative streak consisting of stoned and dethroned slabs of drone-rock and slow-core.

There are a number of bands that spring to mind who have influenced Coke Weed: Bardo Pond, Mazzy Star, Low and Galaxie 500. All of whom have endearing qualities from which CW have plucked the best. They also cleverly use nuances of country, evident on the cowpoke amphetamine rush of 'MaryAnne'.

Nina Donghia's soaring vocal has a real twang to it at times, 'Blue Flag', raucously held together with a hell's teeth of a blues guitar solo and a primitive drum pattern both captivating and seething with urgent power. She holds the lion's share of the vocals except on the odd occasion, such as the rumbustious contribution by Milan McAlevey on the distortion-laden 'SOM'. The difference in the two vocals works and is effortlessly enchantingly on 'Buckets', all set to a background of heavy yet serene guitar. 'Anklet', meanwhile, is a piece of workwhich Hope Sandoval would be immensely proud of if she'd had the guile to pen it.

The hippie, laidback spirit is in the blood of Coke Weed but while you may dismiss them as a bunch of lazy good for nothings with too much time on their hands, they up the anti with heart-warming closer 'Manchester', all set to bright and beguilingly mellifluous chords. Nina's vocal is heart-breakingly ethereal at times and utterly beautiful from start to finish.

It is beyond me that a group with so many creative juices flowing through their respective bodies hasn't been picked up by a label, but their cognitive approach resonates with an unbridled passion which deserves to be heard by a bigger audience. Back to Soft, to be quite frank, is sodding brilliant!