Haight Ashbury

PSYCHEDELIC POP

Naming your band after the San Franciscan centre of all things hippie hardly leaves a lot to the imagination as a reference point, so the fact that Haight Ashbury resemble the sort of folks you see wandering around in a daze on old Woodstock footage – albeit much cleaner, and with far less dilated pupils – doesn’t come as a surprise.

Bar the odd noise pop orientated influence – Mazzy Star and maybe the Jesus and Mary Chain – this three piece’s music is, like their attire, something of a paean to the beatific generation. Lank haired, open shirted guitarist Scott Reid conjures up bluesy, psychedelic riffs over which dual vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Kirsty Reid and Jennifer Thompson lay a dark haze of close-harmonies, bass and reverby snare drum patterns.

It’s a fairly modern spin on a very well worn style, making it easy to see why Mike Scott liked Haight Ashbury enough to hand pick them as support for The Waterboys on their last tour. And anything which espouses a little extra peace, love and understanding on the fighty old streets of Glasgow can only be welcomed.