Lights From Paradise

Quest for Fire’s 2009 eponymous debut album found the group balancing Pink Floydian space rock against harder proto-metal with tinges of The Deadly Snakes, the former band of members Mike Moszynski and Chad Ross. Quest for Fire's 2010 sophomore LP, Lights from Paradise, follows suit, but it puts more emphasis on mellow psychedelia. “The Greatest Hits by God” even strobes with the analog delay of early Spacemen 3 played over a string section. Though when Chad Ross’ sleepy vocals come cooing in alongside lysergic guitar leads, it’s hard not to think of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s first album, Methodrone. The hard-driving, fuzz guitar–laden “Set Out Alone” is a refreshing chaser from its hypnotic, head-nodding predecessor. Even when Chad Ross is singing uptempo rockers like this one and the bluesy follower, “Strange Vacation,” his languid vocals still sound as though he tracked them from inside a sleeping bag on the beach. But this only makes for an interesting contrast. On paper, his hazy singing might be better suited for elongated jams like the sprawling “Sessions of Light.” But it’s just more interesting to hear him sing the hard stuff.