Crimson Roots
Callous
Self-released

Barefoot and bearded, Vancouver’s Crimson Roots freak their way through a tapestry of organic riffs and day-glo grooves, spinning a psychedelic jam of deep weirdness with kraut and funk rock leanings. Imagine if the Merry Pranksters hassled squares in a tank instead of a school bus and you’ve got the kind of trip Crimson Roots is taking on their debut, Callous. What I mean is, it’s acid rock with an iron belly, with songs like “Carion,” “Sweet Refrain” and “Cheer” laying down the heaviest moments, and it makes me think the band should really only exist in a universe where Jerry Garcia has asteroids named after him, not ice cream. The rest of it, especially the songs “Border Kid,” “14 & Under” and “Rimson Coots,” riff n’ roll with a damned but upbeat southern twist, and sound like the kind of thing Gideon Smith would be doing if he was a Canadian hippie full of maple syrup and weed instead of an American junkyard dog full of moonshine and barbecue. Heady stuff, for sure.

Listen to “Cheer” from Callous!