Band:	Craang
Album:	To The Estimated Size Of The Universe
Style:	Stoner rock
Release date:	May 26, 2014
A review by:	R'Vannith

01. Slo Forward Jam
02. Butterfly
03. Magnolia
04. The Meteorian

Though a lot of good recent psych comes from the US and the European north, the Mediterranean is coming up with some fine examples as well. Worshippers of sweepingly heavy pysch rock jams laden with fuzz reverb and metallic angularities need this first bit from Craang, more stoner voyages courtesy of Greece. Their debut EP holds four quarters of a trip, which equates to exactly one trip. Whoa, that just blew my mind.

The doom paced movements of To The Estimated Size Of The Universe are jagged and suitably rough around the edges, the propulsions perpetuating potent promulgation of riffs without patent pretentions? I should probably lay off the alliteration? pffft. Pure power spread across the very opposite of parsimonious jams, as the first would lead one to realise with its simple yet entirely descriptive title "Slo Forward Jam." On and on they go, all aspiring to potentially achieve the same purpose; particularly pounding, perhaps somewhat plodding, rhythmic particles partaking of a predetermined approach, which is one that persists and doesn't let up, much like my present preference for the letter P.

To put it more plainly, this first recording from the band drags a fair bit. The promise is there, but it's all rather basic in presentation. The song writing follows simplistic patterns, but it does deliver upon their built-up construction in the end. Introducing further psychedelic components and segments into the equation would enhance things, and working them more fundamentally into the compositions would make the recording seem less bare-bones than it is. It does afford an element of a droning backdrop in the astronomically oriented and fifteen-minute enduring closer "The Meteorian." The vocals used throughout the record are especially effective when it comes to breaking the monotony here, as their sparsity in comparison to the density of instrumentation create points of emphasis to which the listener is more likely to latch onto.

This EP demonstrates all the necessary foundations for crafting great heavy psych, down to an eye-catching cover, but requires additional features to better distinguish Craang's sound.

Try it out for size.