Reflector (Deluxe Edition)

Sounding similar to The Telescopes, Spacemen 3, and early recordings by Ride and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, England’s Sun Dial was a shoegaze band equally inspired by '60s psychedelic rock and various indie bands of its time. Sun Dial’s debut album, Other Way Out, leaned harder on the past than its sophomore effort, 1993’s Reflector, where the title track sounds like Chapterhouse with more masculine vocals. The shift in sound could be credited to a significant change in musicians; Gary Ramon was the only original member by the time Reflector rolled tape. But in times of artistic turmoil, magic has been known to happen. In this case, the four-minute instrumental “Tremolo” makes good on its name, with an upfront tremolo-affected guitar playing a minimal two chords as a soaring slide guitar dances on top of everything. Both “Easy for You” and “I Don’t Mind” reveal an affinity for Dinosaur Jr., especially the latter with its punkish undertones in the rhythms and a guitar that sounds like it’s being pumped through a wall of vintage tube amps.