Spindrift. Yeah, I know, it sort of sounds like a washing machine setting. Or the sequel to this movie. Instead, Spindrift is a band from Los Angeles with one helluva new record, The Legend of God’s Gun. Here’s what I wrote about them in this week’s issue.

The Legend of God’s Gun soundtrack borrows from the Ennio Morricone playbook; grizzled renegade cowboys light matches across their coarse stubble on their way to some dusty shootout in the ol’ corral. Except in Spindrift’s world, things are really trippy. It’s like a shootout at Burning Man, or dueling with Gram Parsons at Joshua Tree. The stark tumbleweed and dust are present, but they’re trumped by the synapse-frying effects of all those psychedelics you just took.

Spindrift’s songs feel downright vintage in nature and each instrumental track builds with frantic recklessness, before dropping out completely into softer, nearly ambient, tones. The songs of God’s Gun transition from guns-a-blazin’ shootouts to mellow tripping, all within a few minutes. The lows are so low they might as well re-title the film A Fistful of Downers. Meanwhile the highs swell with a natural machismo that begs for a cinematic moment to match their brilliant nature. A villain ominously standing in the swinging doors of the saloon? A knife fight over some stolen horses? The options are endless.

MP3:
Spindrift - Preacher’s Theme

PURCHASE:
Spindrift - The Legend of God’s Gun

Spindrift perform tonight at East End (203 SE Grand), and at Revolver Studios (532 SE Ankeny) on Sun Jan 20.

Spin and drift on over to End Hits, the Mercury music blog.