Sic Alps
Sic Alps with Thee Oh Sees, Sonny and the Sunsets, and the Mallard. 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at Great American Music Hall. $15.
There's a reason that the latest album from San Francisco rock band Sic Alps is self-titled: It's meant to follow in the great tradition of bands issuing eponymous records as a way of hitting the reset button. For Sic Alps, that means the group's usually disorienting, gritty psych has been distilled into a set of 10 songs that are more straightforward and focused than ever. There's a gorgeous string section giving sublime depth to "Glyphs" and "See You on the Slopes," while "God Bless Her, I Miss Her" and "Moviehead" are crisp and catchy homegrown rock with a pleasingly rough edges. Nearly a decade into a career that's included opening shows for Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo, Sic Alps' damaged rock 'n' roll is still evolving — and it's just hit a high point.
Tags: Hear This, Show Preview, Sic Alps, God Bless, San Francisco, Sonic Youth, Great American Music Hall