“Slow and brooding, their mixture of psychedelia and rock, with this steady yet mysterious baSeattle-based psychedelic rock outfit Black Nite Crash present their new album ‘Washed in the Sound with Black Nite Crash’, released via American boutique label Neon Sigh, which was mixed by longtime collaborator Matt Brown (Trespassers William) and mastered by Adam Straney.
Black Nite Crash is Jim Biggs (vocals, guitar), John Parker (bass), James Stone (guitar), Tony Zuniga (drums) and Claire Tucker (guitar/vocals). Formed twenty years ago, Black Nite Crash has involved more than 30 members over the years, surrounding Jim Biggs, the last remaining original member. Yet somehow, the band has maintained a coherent sound and vision.
Presenting the most diverse set of songs the band has ever released, this album combines their trademark fuzzed out guitars with some newer flavours, like the pulsating noir of first single ‘The Take’, the post-baggy groove of ‘Stupid Games’ or the surging post-punk energy of ‘Sugarwave’.
Work on the ‘Washed in the Sound with Black Nite Crash’ LP began before the pandemic, the songs a reflection of a band finding its feet again, with (then) relatively new members Claire Tucker and Sharim Johnson putting their imprint on this batch of songs. Then lockdowns began before tracking could be completed.
“This is the band’s fifth full length in nearly twenty years of existence, and it looks to be the start of a period of more frequent releases as we work through our backlog of unreleased recorded songs, not to mention the surplus of new material we’re working on even now,” says Jim Biggs.
“As to the music, I’ve long been a proponent of the idea that all rock music should only be about god, girls and drugs (or god, boys, and drinking, or any combination of those themes, really), but it’s hard to look at the state of the nation and the state of the world and not say a thing or two about it, specifically on ‘NY Animal’ and ‘Stupid Games’. In the past, I’ve often kept my writing close to autobiographical (‘Failure’ is very much reflective of my own navel-gazing), but Claire Tucker (guitarist/singer) has influenced me to branch out into more storyteller-type songs with first single ‘The Take’ a prime example of that.”
On October 14, the ‘Washed in the Sound with Black Nite Crash’ LP will be available everywhere online, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. They will hold their album release show at The Six in Portland on November 5 and also play the Sunset Tavern on December 16/17 for Seattle’s Tremolo Festival.
ALBUM CREDITS
Jim Biggs – guitars, vocals, keys
Jasun Hadaway – bass, keys
Tony Zuniga – drums, percussion
Claire Tucker – guitars, vocals, keys
Sharim Johnson – guitars
Matt Brown – organ, keys
Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9 written by BIGGS/BLACK NITE CRASH
Tracks 4 and 6 written by TUCKER/BLACK NITE CRASH
Track 2 written by JOHNSON/BIGGS/BLACK NITE CRASH
Engineered and mixed by Matt Brown at Crackle and Pop, The Outhouse, and Spaceranch Studios in Seattle, assisted by Skyler Holcombe
Produced by Matt Brown and the Band
Mastered by Adam Straney at Breakpoint Mastering
‘The Take’ video directed by Jim Biggs with assistance from James Stone
‘Sugarwave’ video by Jim Biggs with add. footage by Coffee With Stripes
Album cover artwork by CJ Burton. Concept by Jim Biggs
Artist photos by Rose Dekker
TRACK LIST
1. The Take
2. S.P.M.U.
3. In Time
4. Tie Me Down
5. NY Animal
6. Sugarwave
7. Stupid Games
8. Something About You
9. Failure
LIVE SHOWS
Nov. 5 – PORTLAND – The Six (PDX release show)
Dec. 16/17 – SEATTLE – Sunset Tavern (Tremolo Festival)
Keep up with Black Nite Crash
Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | Apple Music | Spotify
