California-based psych-rock duo Dopus Opus recently dropped their debut album, The Lake Sessions.
Dopus Opus shares, “Growing up, we loved the immersive experience that listening to music could bring. We want our own music to capture some of that spirit and take listeners on a sonic journey. We added “found sounds” and also at times, used the stereo field as our playground. There was laughter and lighthearted fun too. We hope all of that comes through in the music.”
Made up of Terry Waterman (drums, vocals, guitar, percussion) and Steve McKenzie (guitar, bass, vocals, guitar synth, sitar guitar), Terry and Steve formed Dopus Opus to explore new musical directions.
Encompassing eleven tracks, The Lake Sessions starts off with “We Need Love,” opening on low-slung, slightly dirty guitars flowing into an upbeat melody exuding hints of surf-rock-lite and indie-rock. Creamy vocals give the lyrics lush timbres.
Highlights include “Cymbal Symbol,” traveling on gliding, sparkling colors reflecting classical nursery rhyme savors, followed by shifting into trance-like shimmers of color. “Speeding By” features jangly guitars flavored with tints of SoCal soft country-rock savors. Kaleidoscopic and creamy textures infuse the tune with dreamy psych-rock flavors.
A personal favorite, “Sooner Or Later” rolls out on velvety layers of jangly guitars topped by cashmere vocals. There’s a twangy feel to the tune, as well as the guitar solo, reminiscent of Poco. “Welcome Home” conjures up memories of Clapton’s “Bell Bottom Blues” on the intro and then offers aromas of indie-rock merged with folk tinctures.
“Bad Day” comes across as Bob Dylan covering Pure Prairie League – delightful vocals ebbing and rising on undulating tone as shimmering guitars push out misty coloration. The last track, “To Be Free,” features darker colors amalgamated with a lysergic guitar, imbuing the harmonics with wistful, nostalgic auras.
Full of retro tangs of indie-rock and surf-rock touches, The Lake Sessions delivers a laid-back, easy-to-listen-to collection of songs.
