Drug Rug, Paint the Fence Invisible

Psychedelia-infused ’60s-retro rock-pop is still in full force. It seems that a new artist in this very creative genre comes out every other week with a good-to-great album. Drug Rug’s latest album, Paint the Fence Invisible, is a beam of sunlight splashing down upon your magic carpet ride, ensuring a bright and enlightening trip to your favorite happy place. Replete with reverb-drenched vocals and guitar plucks, the duo of Sarah Cronin and Tommy Allen weave their vocals into magnetic harmonies that bring to mind acts like Dr. Dog and Kelley Stoltz.

Sunny, poppy and short synth-etic opener “Follow” sounds completely different from anything on the album but also sounds like the end of an album, the band’s members reminiscing over the previous songs they have created for you and encouraging you to “follow your dreams.” This explodes into the guitar-led chug-a-lug ditty of “Haunting You,” a feel-good song that states that, “Your love is here even though the world is so weird.” The happy duo successfully convince me with their lyrics that there is nothing wrong with me, and I feel that there is nothing wrong with this song, either, except that maybe it’s too short. I could’ve used a few more compliments, even though I’ve found my love.

“Never Tell” reminds me of Fleetwood Mac, Sam Roberts Band, or even Bob Schneider, blending elements of dreamy rock and a bit of country twang. Next up is “Blue Moon,” which is reminiscent of the Dandy Warhols and a softer version of The Vines, using some “Ba Ba Ba” lyrics as well as a trippy organ sound to fill out the Vines-y melody. Cronin’s voice is the driving force of “Hannah, Please,” alongside some more “Ba Ba Ba” harmonized support. This is definitely the energetic pick of the album, with some Starlight Mints-like quirkiness.

The second half of Invisible is slightly different. “Don’t Be Frightened By the Devil” begins soft; it starts to layer, picks up some Kurt Cobain-like, mumbly, drugged-out vocals, pairs them with Cronin’s backing charm, picks up some fuzzy guitar riffs and a tambourine, and ends up in a long instrumental that contains sounds like some of the stuff on The Flaming Lips’ Embryonic. The next track, “Noah Rules,” starts with chanting vocals, guitar, and a muted tribal drum beat, then adds bass around 1:30, when you realize you’ve encountered a builder of a song. Stoltz-y repetitive guitar, Vines-y vocals…this is a cool song.

Halfway through, some acid feedback shines through the thus-far crisp song and distorts everything into a psychedelic freakshow that actually has the band’s mind haunting me. Sounds like playing a Zeppelin track backwards but forwards at the same time. The weather clears at the end, but then it still sounds like a mushroom trip. “Coffee In the Morning” is a twangy, bluesy song perfect for a Sunday morning with Cotton Jones on your playlist. “Passes On” and “Sooner the Better” are a mediocre blend of all of the above elements, sounding pretty similar to some of the other tracks. The last track is very sparse, just Cronin and a guitar for three-plus minutes, but it hits a very emotional, down-to-earth chord and is definitely worth a listen. The whole album is.

They’re recommended if you like the Dandy Warhols, Spindrift, Kelly Stoltz, New Pornographers, Spiritualized, Dr. Dog, or Fleetwood Mac, amongst others. This talented psychedelic duo is coming to Houston on January 29, supporting Fiery Furnaces (another strong act) at around 8PM. Let us go and we shall rejoice. Free love for everyone.