Ever expanding and prolific, Fort Collins-based psychedelic high-desert rock outfit The Crooked Rugs is back with a self-titled fifth full-length album. Locking in on the things that made their previous album Hear & Now so interesting, The Crooked Rugs is contemplative and precise, feeling more like the steady forward motion of a train than a wander through the hills. Once again aiming to capture the timeless feeling of ‘60s and ‘70s classic rock, this album is packed with subtle and not-so-subtle nods to artists like Tom Petty, The Allman Brothers and a sprinkle of Foghat.
Songs like “Canned Meat” and “Change” keep the motor running on this album, while “Breaking the Dawn” and “Repeater” return to their psychedelic roots. Then tracks like “Drifter” and “Down the Dream” somehow balance the two aesthetics and remind listeners these boys have chops.
There is an easy casualness to these tracks that elevates the whole record. Unforced and polished, even the high-energy moments have a serene pocket couched under the surface. The Crooked Rugs shows a band collected in their maturity and cool in their confidence.
And for those raised on their local classic rock radio station, The Crooked Rugs is like a bingo card for that era of music. You’ve got faithful emulations of Gregg Allman’s guitar tone, the crunch of Black Sabbath, and even a little ZZ Top Texas boogie. These nods to the icons of rock are at times almost too on the nose, but in deft expressions of self-awareness, the band usually brings it home.
What’s particularly great about this album is it doesn’t feel like a slog. These twelve tracks fly by, and before you know it, it’s over. This is an accomplishment in itself, especially for bands who lean into the psychedelic, where the vamp is king. All too often, bands in the genre get so lost in their own grandiose vision they forget how the listener interacts with the music. With this album, The Crooked Rugs feel tuned in more than zoned out, tapping into something that feels like it’s for everyone – not just those wanting to take a trip.
On the whole, this album is what all Colorado bands should shoot for. Many of their contemporaries often struggle to balance genres and influences that go into a record, pulling from so many places the whole project loses consistency. But with this album, The Crooked Rugs have found that sweet spot in their sound that allows space for all those inputs. Contemplative yet energetic; spacey yet determined; relaxed yet road-worn – this album deserves to be celebrated by the local scene and acknowledged by national audiences.
