The Entrance Band: Face the Sun

Psychedelic power trio the Entrance Band arrive with their latest full-length offering, Face the Sun, following their self-titled 2009 release. This sees founder and frontman Guy Blakeslee joined by bassist Paz Lenchantin and Derek W. James on drums for a sprawling set of tunes that run the gamut from compelling to watery. Exhibit A for the “compelling” bit is album opener “Fine Flow”, a nearly-nine-minute epic that shifts from meandering spaceyness to straightforward rockage. Satisfying as the tune is, though, it also marks the record’s high point. There are some good songs like the sinister, catchy “Spider” and moody closer “Night Cat”, but there are plenty of duds too. Blakeslee doesn’t have the strongest voice in the world, and his limitations as a singer serve as one of the defining characteristics of the album. This is especially egregious in “Fire Eyes” and the ambitious “Year of the Dragon”, a song which might have been moving in the hands of a more capable singer. A mixed bag, then, with some diverting moments, but many others that fall flat.