AJEEB – Refractions

 

 

AJEEB – Refractions
Spinda Records – 2023
Rock, Grunge, Alternative, Stoner, Psych
Rated: ****

We were honored to premiere two singles of the Refractions album and we have not put the album down ever since. We’re talking about Canary Island trio AJEEB! On their sophomore release they take you on an eleven-track trip though the alternative rock and grunge landscape. With some noise, stonerrock and psychedelic influences, they excel in making it all sound sonically dense and rough. Rough in the sense that it’s all either sticky or gritty and does not seem to want to please by going the easy route anywhere. Do not expect many catchy choruses or returning ear pleasing riffs. No, this is freak out grunge, compelling or should we say compulsory overdriven guitar lead deep dives into the rabbit hole. Open track and single Hollowed Out immediately shows its colors and you will know you are not in Kansas anymore. Perhaps you might think you are in Seattle of the nineties for a moment, but second track and second single Far Enough will fast forward you to a later decade and deliver what you will come to understand as the most pop sensible track on the album. A logical single, but my love goes out to most of the other tracks and especially those four songs at the end. How about that final song Tail Chasing? A bass propelled masterpiece that slowly develops into insistent and intense freak out, that never complete explodes and seems in the way of restraint to deliver even more. AJEEB is grunge, first and foremost, but AJEEB is more. And more is always more!

(Written by JK)

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AJEEB's new album is coming out via indie label Spinda Records, in collaboration with a bunch of other Spanish labels such as Violence In The Veins, Quebranta Records, Noizeland Records, Hey Boy Hey Girl, Bandera Records, Naife and Hombre Montaña, as well as Clever Eagle Records and The Ghost is Clear Records, both from the US. The impressive artwork is by The Braves Church, based on photographies by Sara GDM and Daniel L. Fleitas.

•    150x STANDARD BLACK VINYL (all labels)
•    150x CLEAR VINYL (all labels)
•    100x COMPACT DISC (Spinda Records)
•    50x CASSETTES (Spinda Records / Clever Eagle Records)