California-based James Booth and the Return are back with their first full-length album since Postcards From the New Frontier in 2022. The band continues honing its craft with an eclectic mix of prog-rock, jam, and psychedelic rock on An American Warlock in Holywood.
Singer, multi-instrumentalist and principal songwriter James Booth starts the album with “The Great Divide (Part 1, 2, 3),” an epic three-part funk/prog assault. The song is hooky and powerful. Booth’s unique voice evokes ’60s-era rock. The guitars are raw and guttural and are audibly matched by the drumming. “Evil Days” is another stand-out track. The song’s snarling guitars and Booth’s nuanced and melodic vocals immediately draw in the listener, while the locomotive rhythm section nails the song’s main theme home. The slide guitar solo adds a disentitle element, too.
“Los Chrysalis” is another track that features James Booth in almost one-man band mode, with Chad McKinsey handling the drums in addition to engineering, production, and mixing. Booth’s voice delivers an accessible and hooky tale, softening the song’s dark edges. Booth’s acoustic guitars convoy Southern California, while his edgy lead electric work is far more sinister. The lyrical contrasts and bold guitars are part of the reason why “Los Chrysalis” is my favorite track on the album.
“New Rourke City” employs a more band-like approach, with journeyman guitarist/prog-master Fernando Perdomo on lead guitar, Max Goldman on bass and drummer Chad McKinsey supporting Booth’s electric and acoustic guitar.
“The Angel In You” closes the official album (there is a hidden track, the quirky and inviting “The Lava Lamp Song”) and is a hoot with its off-kilter lead guitars, mellotron-like keyboards, and prominent bass hooks. Booth’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics tie everything up thematically, inviting repeated listening to decipher what the hell is going on.
A lyrical deep dive is worth it as James Booth and the Return pack a lot of goodness in the 15 songs on An American Warlock in Hollywood.
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