The second album from Brooklyn's Psychic Ills boils over with blistering amalgamation of spastic and ethereal guitar droning, the group abandoning the more syncopated tribal sound that distinguished their first LP, "Dins," along with any semblance of traditional song structure. Here the trio-turned-quartet combines rhythmic freneticism with mechanical instrumentation; "Mirror Eye" is an artfully chaotic, blissfully impulsive record.

Those wondering just what Brooklyn's Psychic Ills might get into after 2006's Dins need not look much further than beyond the cover of their newest, Mirror Eye. There's a blurry shot of a tambourine, a handful of crystals on the inlay, and a quote from Zen master Alan Watts. But wait! They haven't turned into hippies, honest! Instead, the quartet has turned their gaze from their record shelves (think Spaceman 3, Suicide, Sonic Youth, etc.) of previous dusky excursions towards something drawn inward. If anything, the new album resounds with intense reflection, organic improvisation, minimalistic ritual and an exploration of undiluted psychedelic sound at its most potent. It's a bold move for the band, but one they pull off with aplomb. A heavy-hitter for the third eye.

Adrian Burkholder (January 22, 2009)