In a move that's sure to surprise, southern blues drunkenly hooked up with pop rock and now there's a little bundle of auditory joy heading our direction from Norway. BigBang, a second generation psychedelic-alt-indie-rock three-piece is Northern Europe's answer to America's drought of soulful blues. Though a European standard for more than a decade, From Acid to Zen is the band's stateside debut - and with an album full of radio-ready tracks such as "Wild Bird" and "From a Distance," BigBang is sure to live up to its name with the FM radio set. The influence of 60s rock should not be discounted, however, as BigBang is at its finest when it's performing at its loosest. On songs such as the title track, "From Acid to Zen," lead vocalist, Øystein Greni growls with a smoothness reminiscent of Captain Beefheart circa Safe as Milk. The real find on this album is "My First Time," a definite must-listen for the vintage vocals and infectious guitar riffs.
-- Gretchen Gaskill [September 15, 2008]
