Will Schube knows all the good action happens on Ventura.
You don’t need to be from LA to be LA. Alexander Brettin and his Mild High Club have got this shit figured out. The Stones Throw signee has been creating skewed psych-pop straight off Hollywood and Vine for a minute, and is back with “Homage,” the first track from his group’s forthcoming Skiptracing.
The Mild High origin story is one of lore for aspiring musicians: Brettin heads out West, meets up with Stones Throw boss Peanut Butter Wolf, and signs to his label. He makes the move towards manifest destiny permanent, and four years of sunshine and posi vibes have done wonders for Mild High Club’s ‘70s stoner sound.
“Homage” is no different, built around synths meant for softcore pornos and flower children. More DMT than MGMT. It’s the unglamourous belly of LA refracted through the golden era of Hollywood dreams. The bassline is fantastically sticky, the guitar solos as flippant as the exec towards the aspiring actor he rejects. It’s a dreamland. Brettin’s voice is both persuasive and swept up by the acid in the punchbowl. A midwest transplant and his band capture LA as well as a homegrown veteran of thirty years. This is Hollywood. They’ll fit right in.
