Words by Dane Harrison
Love Machine are on a mission to spread the word of LOVE to the world and beyond on their sun-soaked procession of peace. ‘Times to come’ the third record from the eternal groovers, released earlier this month on Unique Records, is an airy, gently paced swinger leading you from the sunken-kraut-rock hollows of Dusseldorf, across the rock ‘n’ roll plains of America, out into the universe and back again. It’s like a medieval pagan folk troupe going to the moon in a shiny canoe. But don’t fret, there’s time to stop and smell the daisies, breathe in the air between the chords and taste the lilacs in this strolling folk soiree before you’re beamed across the galaxy.
Led by frontman Marcel Rosche whose gritty, hollow vocals sound as if you are undergoing a masonic ritual initiation into a secret interplanetary society, and backed by sunlight lullaby harmonies, the band range through folk and rock, touching on a sunny country psychedelia. Its here, somewhere between the strung-out-krautrock and the folkadelia that the stage is set for ‘Times to Come’.
The message of love is chimed from the beginning in the opening track “Got to Love” with rhythmic bass line and playful, rolling guitar which sets us off on our sunlight journey arriving at almost gospel-like vocals willing us to love, a message to the world. From this blissful summery perch we follow the Love Machine on their quest through the universe winding through the seismic scaling slide guitar in their single “Blue Eyes”, which in times, feels like you are careening into a wormhole and swirling through outer space. Coupled with the haunting and other-worldly instrumental “Vision”, its easy to get the impression of leaving this world aboard the S. S. Love Machine and sailing across the cosmos.
The album reaches an emotional peak on the title track “Times to Come”, with its rock ‘n’ roll one-two, a song which sounds like folk swamis taking over the temple. There is something both tribal and other-worldly seeping through here. Have we stepped through the door and reached our destination, we ask. We have travelled to the farthest point, where the sun cannot reach, into the darkness, the times ahead, the ‘Times to Come’ where “the world is dark, the end is near”. Then, like any good daydream we drift back with “Earth, Again”, with free percussion, elongated draw and swirling licks that acclimatise us to the flower-bed in the sun and the ultimate message of love. What have we learnt on our voyage through the stars? It’s all going to be groovy!
Like last years ‘Circles‘, the album showcases the musical talent this quintet posses and their unique sound and strata for propelling their message. Taking on wind instruments, analogue synthesizers and haunting percussion speaks to the breadth of sound and transmits something light and airy and yet also astronomical and swirling. When two sounds entwine, such as the deep bravado of Rosche to the light and rhythmic guitar and airy drums, we get an abstract mix, both inflated and sunken at the same time. It plays to the raw-folkish side of the band and their pilgrimage to preach their own message of groovy love. Folk, rock, kraut, psych, it makes no difference, it’s all love and The Love Machine is definitely turned on, so tune yourself in.
Purchase times to come here
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