The Orange Alabaster Mushroom

Ontario's answer to the Bevis Frond, the Orange Alabaster Mushroom is bedroom D.I.Y. auteur Greg Watson, whose one-man band reproductions of classic circa-1967 psych-pop are so dead-on perfect in every detail that one could play this collection of 1991-1998 recordings for any fan of Nuggets-era obscurities and they'd think it was authentic circa 1967 psych-pop. Farfisa organ, gloriously fuzzy guitars, and rattlesnake percussion (plus occasionally the obligatory sitar and trippy backwards tapes) support Watson's deliciously whiny vocals, but this is no mere period recreation.

Unlike a lot of contemporary artists who try to work in this style, Watson doesn't forget what made the best psych-pop singles work so well: strong melodies and immediate hooks. Songs like the "Itchykoo Park"-like music hall amble "Sunny Day" and the statement of intent "We Are the Orange Alabaster Mushroom" capture the listener through their unabashed catchiness. Leaning more toward the fanciful side of British psychedelia than the comparatively drab San Francisco style (much more Syd Barrett than Grace Slick), this is an utterly charming collection likely to delight any psych-pop fan.