Indian Jewelry made a small mark in indie-rock two
years ago with Invasive Exotics' experiments in aggressively disconnected
garage-psychedelia. Apparently the band hasn't reached any conclusions, as the
follow-up, Free Gold!, continues tinkering with lo-fi junkyard slur-pop. But
instead of traipsing aimlessly through a sonic wasteland, Free Gold! sharpens its focus: The
pulsing, nerve-pinching freakouts and dramatic mood shifts are still there, but
there's a coherent structure to the album. A deliberate pacing underlies songs
with connected grooves (such as "Temporary Famine Ship"), more closely
recalling the least retrained psych-rock of the '60s. People looking for it
will find elements of The Doors, The Velvet Underground, and others (the
wonderfully eerie "Everyday" sounds like The Mamas And The Papas at a funeral),
but Free Gold's
noisemakers are more distant. Soaked in cheap reverb ("Walking On The Water"),
murky instrumentation ("Bird Is Broke (Won't Sing)"), and oozing vocals, the
album feels like a more reclusive The Jesus And Mary Chain. Thankfully, though,
the tighter foundation of Free Gold! makes it easier to follow the band through its
dystopic dreamland.