Musically, Pierce wants to convey feelings, not thoughts. He accomplishes this (as he's done on past Spiritualized and Spacemen records) by layering layer upon layer, each of which drifts in and out of the mix but stands distinct when it's there. On "Electricity," Sean Cook's catchy, melodic bass lines pull us in, then retreat, leaving us caught inside the song with the claustrophobic, feedback-heavy squiggles and wailing harmonica. (This particular effect is especially noticeable in concert.) "Broken Heart" breathes with soft horns and string arrangements.
Spiritualized are amazing live. Two years ago at Slim's, the band played at an ungodly, but clean, decibel level, seemingly loud enough to blot out anything but the present. To compensate for musician lethargy (they're addicts, all right), the performance included the band's own trance-inducing light show, which at times, coupled with the disorienting volume, created a sensation something like floating in space. Or, sure, being on drugs.
-- Jeff Stark
Spiritualized play Friday, Aug. 29, at 9 p.m. at Bimbo's 365 Club, 1025 Columbus (at Chestnut). DJ Aaron of Subsonic opens. Tickets are $12; call 474-0365.
