Desert Noises
27 Ways
SQE Music
Street: 03.25
Desert Noises = Roky Erikson + Neil Young + Local Natives

The “folk rock by way of Roky Erikson” sound concocted by Desert Noises isn’t anything new, but the standout track on the album, “Elephant’s Bed,” is an ominous and tuneful track that blisters at the end into a Neil Young–esque guitar solo—like something out of Rust Never Sleeps. The rest of the album turns into something just as unpredictable, jumping from introspective guitar tracks (“Angels”) to bluesy church stompers (“Dime in my Pocket”) and straightforward rustic folk (“Follow You Out”). They’re flexing their muscles a bit, which leaves the album feeling fragmented, and it doesn’t always work, but when it does, it can be fantastic. –Taylor Hale