Howlin’ Rain

The Alligator Bride

Hairy Californian jam-rockers uncork their heavy fifth. It’s been nearly three years since we last heard from Oakland combo Howlin’ Rain, with leader Ethan Miller perhaps distracted by the business of setting up his own Silver Current label and recording with various other projects, among them the psychedelically minded Feral Ohms and Heron Oblivion.

Thankfully though, the fourpiece have lost none of their bite during the interim, spitting out huge guitar jams on The Alligator Bride. At its beating heart is the interplay between Miller and fellow guitarist Dan Cervantes, whether layering up the John Lee Hooker vamp that introduces Rainbow Trout or going for the full Grateful Dead blowout of Missouri. Like a heavier Chris Robinson Brotherhood, they tilt at a golden era of vintage groove-rock, the suspicion being that Howlin’ Rain’s spiritual nexus is probably Watkins Glen circa 1973.

The Wild Boys posits them as masters of the slow build, rising from mellow stoner psych to a yelping crescendo. That said, they save their best till last, as Coming Down reclines on some distant shore before steadily ramping up the noise into something thunderous and emphatic.

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