Vee Dee, Public Mental Health System

For some bands, progressing to a new sound requires slow and steady motion. As far as influences are concerned, there’s no doubt that proto-punk legends MC5 and The Stooges are reference points for local garage-rock vets Vee Dee. And, for the first few songs on its latest album, Public Mental Health System, very little suggests that the trio has changed its affinity for grungy riffs, wah-heavy licks, and howling vocals. As Public Mental Health System progresses, however, a stranger, less definable musical styling creeps into the band’s sound. Songs like “Electric Room” begin to branch out into more adventurous territory by incorporating jazz-heavy bass lines and improv-influenced song structures.

Halfway through, the group's unexpected garage-pop wallop has just as much of an impact as the band's more experimental forays in ghostly Sonic Youth-esque rock. From side two and on, Vee Dee’s Public Mental Health System reveals itself as the kind of melodically-fractured double album that indie bands used to create on seminal labels like SST—in other words, a revelation.

Grade: A