Thursday, February 23, 2012

Spirit Caravan - So Mortal Be/Undone Mind (2002) 45 Tolotta Records





Wino has fronted some damn good bands - the legendary Saint Vitus, stoner/desert rock supergroup Shrinebuilder, The Obsessed and this, probably my favorite project of his, Spirit Caravan.

Spirit Caravan is a bit more heavy and laid back than Saint Vitus and The Obsessed and are more about simple riffs and heavy tone than any of his other projects - at least that's how I think of them.


This 45 is awesomely heavy, with the opening riff of 'So Mortal Be' just laying down the perfect stoner vibe with Scott's distinctive vocals soaring over the music. It's rare that a good heavy stoner vibe comes off without being too slow or too heavy - Spirit Caravan seems to get this balance just right.

'Undone Mind' is a bit heavier and more gruff, but definitely has the same vibe and tone and almost the same feel to the riff, but it gets your head nodding just the same.

Both tracks are available on The Last Embrace, a compilation of a bunch of Spirit Caravan's records and a great starting place for those interested in the band. This 45 was an impulse buy at Zion's Gate last time I was in Seattle.