the occasion - cannery hours
Cannery Hours begins with a haunting, murderous atmosphere straight out of some unholy marriage between Johnny Cash and Nick Cave. The track, “So Far”, vamps on two low piano keys with forlorn vocals sewing in and out of a dreary sonic haze. Yeah, I was smoking mescaline when I wrote this, but that’s the attitude you need to get you to the second track, which is decidedly more upbeat and certainly less pastoral.
Brooklyn-based The Occasion have a special brand of psychedelia that most likely originated not in the greater Tri-State area but rather in the land of vision quests and dehyrdation. Even the more raucous tracks, such as the title track, conjure up an image of badlands and cattle skulls full of poison. Other standouts are “Register My Complaints”, with its moderato guitar jangle and piano groove, and “You May Know Me”, featuring a tremolo guitar and some maracas. “All Over Idaho” has a low-key country-noir vibe.
Take the peyote, kid, and see where it takes you. Put on this album while you’re at it.