The Warlocks: Bobby Hecksher (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, bass guitar); Corey Lee Granet (guitar, synthesizer); John Christian Rees (guitar); Laura Jean Grigsby (piano, organ, synthesizer, tambourine); Jennifer Patricia Fraser (bass guitar); Jason Andrew Anchondo, Robert Thomaso Mustachio (drums).
Additional personnel: Tanya Haden (cello); Danny Hole.
On 2005's SURGERY, Los Angeles vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Bobby Hecksher leads his crew through another set of 1960s-inspired indie rock. As always, the Warlocks conjure up fuzzed-out, guitar-laden tunes that carry a woozy weight. Although the amps aren't perpetually cranked here, dense, mid-tempo tracks are the order of the day, with Hecksher further refining his bid for rock glory, particularly on the anthemic "It's Just Like Surgery," a track that alone is worth the price of the album.
What the critics say...
Rolling Stone (No. 988, p.129) - 3 out of 5 stars - "...[B]ongwater sludge dominated by slow-motion fuzz guitars and...woozy vocals..."
Spin (p.137) - "[T]heir swirl of guitars and organ is even more densely alluring, but the arrangements let in some welcome light." - Grade: B+
Mojo (Publisher) (p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Riding a '60s girl group jag, he evokes the kitchen sink production and sonic melodrama cultivated by studio maestros like Phil Spector or Shadow Morton..."
