California surf-rock revivalists Allah-Las brought the goods to Austin for Levitation this last weekend. The  psych fest’s stage (at Far Out Lounge) was bathed in sunlight Friday afternoon following some brief bouts  of rain. The warmth of the Texas sun was the perfect atmosphere for laid-back, down-to-earth tunes that  would follow. 

Allah-Las kept it light and casual, taking time to form a connection with the audience and converse here  and there. An impromptu cover of “Louie Louie”, born from some absent-minded guitar tuning between  songs was a fun surprise. 

The Los Angeles group, reminiscent of The Zombies and The Magnetic Fields performed many songs  from their newest album, Zuma 85. It marks a shift in overall sound, with experimental compositions and  vocal styles atypical of the band’s signature rhythmic jams (“Mulberry Jam”, “Boysenberry Jam”, and  “Catamaran” are some of our favorites!) 

They introduced a new piece from Zuma 85, “Jelly”, named after the latest in gelatin-based psychoactive  drug delivery. The lighthearted tune drew in the interest of the crowd as they witnessed something new  and unexpected. Allah-Las asks you to take a step back and experience the world through an unhindered  and unabashed lens. 

Finally, we were ecstatic to hear a rendition of “Sacred Sands”. This (in our opinion) underrated track  from their 2012 self-titled album gloriously exemplifies the band’s surf-rocker chops. This toe-tapper turned-head-banger drew the crowd together for one last dance in the proverbial oasis among the  dunes. 

We would have liked to hear some tunes from the band’s collaborative album “Self Discovery for Social  Survival”. Alas, we will have to catch them another time to hear more favorites. We recommend you do  the same and check out Allah-Las at a live show near you! Zuma 85 is out now and we also highly  recommend giving it a listen, the studio recordings make for great listening!

Review & Photos by: Chris Murphy

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