The Illusion

2017 release. When Matthew Melton told Castle Face he had two brand new records, a final Warm Soda record as well as a new band with his wife Doris called Dream Machine, there was a little sadness that Warm Soda had run it's course. However, listening to Dream Machine invokes a puff of smoke and a familiar looking magician appears, beckoning one to jump through his top hat! The vibe of The Illusion makes a deft jump from Warm Soda's terse power pop to tongue-in-groove swinging proto-metal à la Iron Butterfly, Deep Purple, Heart, and more than a hint of LA's dark masters, The Doors. Doris absolutely murders the organ, along with some perfectly placed synthesizer pepper - the album is jammed with hooks and pulsing vintage vibes but in an unassailably clever and accomplished manner. This band will be the background party band of the summer, sounding like a Saturday night Satanic ritual in a sunsetting Austin backyard, everyone dressed to the nines. Expertly played, fantastically recorded and a real tasty party platter of a record.