[This is our site’s album review debut, written by Sam. Look for more Vinyl Veins Album Reviews each week!]

Artist: Allah-Las

Album: Allah-Las

There is nothing in the world more invigorating than the deep concentration of a summer’s warmth. Perhaps you embrace the feeling of lying by the pool, in a haze of sun and waves, or by sitting back with the earthy fragrance of a slow-glowing summer bonfire. I always seem to fall into a bit of a sullen mind when summer finally comes to an end and gets replaced by the chill and deafening silence of winter.

But I happened upon a band that embodies the characteristics of a summer season’s mellow winds in such a refreshing way. I think it is unlike any band that has come up in this genre. The Allah-Las, with their self-titled album, bring a youthful and organic respect back to retro surf-rock. They’re an engaging, lo-fi reincarnation of The Animals meets The Beach Boys.

In the first half of the album, we are whisked off to flirting with a swell-like surfer on a sun-soaked day on a 1960’s SoCal coastline. Then, as the album begins to settle in, like the beach sunsets its music represents, the album fills our heads with flirty nostalgia and romantic intrigue. We find ourselves on the prowl for the full story in an almost cinematic chorus.

Though Allah-Las is relatively new, the members are quite aware and knowledgeable about the sound they bravely try to pull off. The garage-rock sound is not easy to attain with intention, but they do. These four band members came from a Californian background, and working in a record store surely gave them the advantage of retro do’s and don’ts.

This album reassures me; its sounds are as crisp as an old ’78 set on a well-loved turntable in a time of winter sorrow. I feel full with a warm optimism that comes from basking by the beachside, even as I sit in my tiny, cold Midwest apartment in January.

All in all, I was very satisfied with Allah-Las. I would give it 7.5 gnarly dudes out of 10 for its element of honest music without being too cocky. I hope this helps conjure some curiosity!

Thanks, and happy listening! Let me know what you think after you hear it.

Image credit to Allah-Las.