San Francisco's The Mantles new 7″ artwork is far from a bad design. We wish more bands were photographed inside a brandy sifter.
Maybe that's not a sifter. It looks more like a limited edition Christmas ale glass. We forget the brewery that sported this look, but it made you feel classy in bar of pint-carrying patrons. So, let's attempt to find a correlation between specialty glassware and The Mantles.
San Francisco has veterans' rights to the psychedelic sound. But, who's going to stand out and be the brandy sifter in a room of pints? The Mantles could have it. Whether it's reactionary or just their aesthetic, The Mantles are not hiding in the lo-fi. In recent months, San Francisco seems to be at the forefront of churning out authentic pyschedelia without the blown out scuzz that can weigh a record down. Dare we say San Francisco is making it acceptable to be poppy again? (Too far?)
“Bad Design” and “Rachel” are leftovers from the hi-fi recording sessions with Greg Ashley for the self-titled Siltbreeze debut. The 7″ is out on Slumberland, which seems like a far more suitable home for The Mantles, as the sleepy pop sensibilites are akin to Bay's answer to Flying Nun.
Buy the “Bad Design” 7″ here.
