“Desert Center” By Guantanamo Baywatch
Sweltering out their fourth full-length release in the dead of the summer heat, Guantanamo Baywatch has located and paid homage to a sweaty little town between California and Arizona, titling the album after the road tour gas stop, releasing Desert Center, out August 4 on Suicide Squeeze Records. The album comes ripping into formation with the first song “Conquistador,” kicking it off with a deep, bone penetrating bass line that draws in attention accompanied by precise and intense double picking on the six string sustained by classic, powerful and explosive surf percussion. The transition from intensity to melodic sensuality on this album flows seamlessly as the second song “Neglect” sways in with a dirty sexuality and hip-swinging melody that has the energy to seduce, accompanied by a soothing and consoling groove.
As the album shape shifts, “The Scavenger” screams out with an elastic, mind-bending style that erupts and explodes in a sea of true, undeniable cool. Paddling through the swells and breaks of this charming yet debilitating collection, we find ourselves in a wipeout of sentimental sensuality as we can’t help but empathetically experience a certain emotional recoiling in romantic regret as “Blame Myself” soothes and tears at the heart strings. Words like undeniable and impressive come to mind but are a shy cry and complete understatement of the truth when it comes to Desert Center. This one is as hot as the August sun. »
