Various Artists - Black Rain

Charles Bals, the curator behind the America Dream Reserve compilation, continues his journey into a wasteland of obscure recordings sourced from previously unknown tapes and vinyl of the 70s and 80s. This collection is made for an overcast, rainy night. Where the nocturnal ramblings of wandering silent types can be heard over an endless stretch of asphalt. This time, Bals has put together a compilation that contains a darker, more solitary narrative—a collection of reclusive, ‘sigh-chedelic’ folk. The anthology sources rare moments that feel like they were pulling-the-paisley-thread of a dying psychedelic folk movement. Although it passed from the mainstream, the genre continued to percolate in bedrooms, kept alive through unsigned bands and mysterious individuals. Despite recording in different countries, these artists found there way to a kindred feeling. When heard together, the feeling of an era’s aftermath comes into focus. Charles’ compilation brings out the potency of these disparate selections.