The Wicked Whispers – Dandelion Eyes
Worldwide there are probably only two cities that could rightfully claim to be the spiritual home of psychedelic music. Lysergic pop’s very own capital city as it were. One is Liverpool, home to a seemingly endless stream of mind-bending bands from the Fabs to Stealing Sheep. The other is San Francisco, home of love-ins, be-ins, happenings, Monterey Pop and flowers in your hair.
Interesting then that The Wicked Whispers have managed to distil the best of both cities’ musical output onto the traditional black plastic of their latest single. Hailing from Merseyside the band seem at ease mixing pop melody with mind enhancing pop lyrics. A peculiarly scouse ability. A-side “Dandelion Eyes” takes this template and adds a hefty dose of West Coast folk-rock and acidity. Nifty guitar lines atop nicely trippy organ and shuffling beats. A sound straight from Haight Ashbury or Sunset Strip.
B-side “Flying ‘Round In Circles” has a more low key, folk rock feel. Its melody not a million miles away from Peter Sarstedt’s “Where Do You Go To My Lovely” though minus the naffness. It’s less immediate than the A-side but still pretty fine nonetheless, like an out-take from Forever Changes or Da Capo. Worth a listen if retro’s your bag.
