Lougow "Dull Thicket" lp / Ozark Level Full View Records
This is the solo punk project by Jason Wayne Arsaga from Neah Bay, WA. In a past life, he led an Indiana outfit called Mt. Gigantic. Much of this sounds like old Native American chants, and some of it is even more spooky than Daniel Johnston. Allegedly recorded in a cave. ALL tracks FCC OK. Lyrics are printed inside the sleeve(?!).
side a
1) "Are Your Eyes Already Ready" - shrieking, midtempo rant w/ chorus. Gives me the shivers! DO NOT listen to this stoned and alone - you'll freak yourself out. Well, at least I did. Just to test its spooky/scary powers, I listened to it again stone cold sober...it STILL freaked me out!
2) " Things to Do" Less shrieky, but just-as-creepy midtempo ballad. This one could freak you out, but not if you were at the station for the Solstice Marathon. Most likely a plea for help, as most of this LP is.
3)"Circle of Protection" This is the slowest cut on this side. It lacks the scariness of the previous two tracks, but still casts an eerie vibe. HxJx's "pick-to-click".
side b
1) "You'll Live and Die by Those Little Dogs" The press sheet describes this cut as "stomp garage creep shredder". I couldn't agree more. HxJx's "pick-to-click".
2) Time is Too Old" Starts with whistling, progresses to more mid-tempo thudding shrieking cave-rock. Obviously, Mr. Asarga's current life as an innkeeper at a secluded beach hotel is a direct influence on his current artistic output. Neat-o squealing feedback at end.
3) "Hey Sweetie Who" - Even more screaming pounding war party-ish chanting with tortured guitar riffs. Nice tempo shift to slow strumming in middle, described on press sheet as "sweet birdsong folk territory". I doubt if I'd call it that; nevertheless, the all-too-familiar scream-stomp of multi-tracked vox brings the end to what seems to be Lougow's typical big finish to a song. As stated previously, not so much a music project as a plea for help.