(Tangerine Records)
The title refers to a giant boulder located in California’s Mojave Desert. Located nearby is a spherical building called the Integraton, built in 1959 by one George Van Tassell which supposedly held the powers of time travel and regeneration, elements that can best describe Astrid Young’s first studio record in 10 years.
Neil Young’s half-sister has put aside the recent deaths of both her parents in 2005 and a deteriorating hearing problem to finally release a creative batch of new material that are stunning in their simplicity and suggests a regeneration of her own career. Partnered by Violent Femmes’ percussionist Victor Lorenzo, Young layers her clear, plaintive vocals over a number of soulful, evocative lyrics.
Songs like “Your New Drug”, “Happy” and the stunning “Amy’s Song( written as a tribute to a departed friend, Amy Yessian) possess an emotive lyric that brother Neil would be proud of while “The Nerve” boasts an energetic rockabilly arrangement. Supported by some signature guitar work Joe Gore and Eric McFadden, Young may have taken her time but the end result is well worth the wait, an excellent body of work from a gifted singer/songwriter.Download: Amy’s Song, Your New Drug, Try This.
AVAILABLE ON ITUNES – JUNE 27
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Album Photo: Jim Metzg
