I’m a big fan of music that lets takes me away in my imagination. Pure musical escapist joy is something I crave. In the past the Fuzz Club label have afforded many such opportunities over the years such is the quality of their roster. This is set to continue with the release of the new album from Pretty Lightning.
Pretty Lightning are a psychedelic blues duo from Saarbrücken, Germany, comprising Christian Berghoff and Sebastian Haas. Formed over a decade ago, the band has developed a distinctive sound that blends elements of delta blues, krautrock, and psychedelic rock. Throughout their career, Pretty Lightning have released five full length albums and are have just made that six with the release of Night Wobble.
They have toured extensively across the UK and Europe, sharing stages with notable acts such as Moon Duo, Clinic, Kikagaku Moyo and Night Beats.
Back in 2022, the duo released Dust Moves, their first instrumental album, marking a departure from their earlier vocal-driven work and showcasing their ability to create immersive, atmospheric soundscapes. This evolution their versatility and commitment to exploring new sonic territories.
So, what do the band have to say about this new album?
“Night Wobble is a set of downtempo, repetitive grooves that course through dusty spaghetti-western psychedelia, Tuareg-derived desert-blues, library music and ’70s progressive. It’s always cinematic but shot through with trippy, off-kilter moments that bring a sense of alien to the widescreen panoramas here.”
“This is an oozy, woozy cowboy groove. If it was David Lynch who directed ‘Paris, Texas’ then Ry Cooder’s soundtrack might have sounded something like this.”
I’m already packing my bags in my head. Let’s drop the needle.
Opening the album is the lush ‘In Place Of Bees, Glow Worms’. This track sets the scene at dusk on the forest’s edge. A gentle hum of oscillating synths merges with softly plucked guitar notes, capturing the shifting light as the day surrenders to night. As lap steel slides weave spectral trails, a steady but unhurried rhythm lures you into an eerie yet inviting soundscape. The delicate reverberations seem to mimic the flickering glow of insects, their bioluminescence dancing across the undergrowth.
A shift towards the supernatural, ‘Spectre Crackle’ unspools a ghostly incantation through twangy, reverb-drenched guitars and shimmering cymbals. The percussion rolls in like distant thunder, its sporadic bursts adding to the creeping tension. The track’s hypnotic groove casts an uneasy spell, as if unseen eyes are watching from the darkness, their presence only betrayed by fleeting flashes of movement. The lingering distortion leaves a haunting resonance in its wake.
Up next is ‘Nightroamer’. This track embodies movement—the restless energy of traversing shadowed paths with nothing but instinct to guide the way. A pulsing bassline anchors the track, while spindly guitar lines curl like mist between the trees. There’s an unmistakable desert blues influence here, echoing the hypnotic repetitions of Tuareg rock, but infused with Pretty Lightning’s own ghostly, psychedelic touch. The momentum builds subtly, like the slow realization that there’s no turning back.
A moment of quiet contemplation amid the journey, ‘Yonder Holly Oak’ offers a respite, its echoing slide guitar evoking the grandeur of an ancient, sacred grove. The notes bend and waver like tree branches swaying in the night breeze, forming a meditative, almost ceremonial atmosphere. The track’s structure is loose and fluid, inviting you to drift into a dreamlike trance, carried by the ebb and flow of its undulating melodies. This is hypnotic stuff.
‘Dingle Dangle Ditch’ is a playful yet sinister jaunt, this track brings an off-kilter energy, its irregular rhythms and bending guitar tones teetering on the edge of instability. The title itself suggests a precarious path, and the music follows suit, with angular riffs and sudden dynamic shifts that feel like navigating an uneven trail. At times, the melody seems to unravel completely before snapping back into place, mirroring the exhilaration of near missteps in the dark.
Marking the album’s midpoint, ‘Glade Runner’ serves as a moment of release, where the dense foliage momentarily parts to reveal an open space. The rhythm locks into a steady, undulating groove, the interplay between percussion and bass forming a solid foundation. Guitar phrases float overhead like circling fireflies, their delayed echoes painting phosphorescent trails in the night air. There’s a sense of movement, of acceleration, as if something unseen is guiding the way.
A descent into deeper, more enigmatic realms, ‘Shadow Portal’ brims with ominous undertones. Swirling guitar loops and reverb-laden chords create an unsettling atmosphere. The track’s gradual layering builds an almost suffocating tension, evoking the feeling of being drawn into the unknown. The absence of traditional structure only adds to the disorienting effect, leaving you suspended in liminal space.
Lightening the tone, ‘Peek A Boo’ reintroduces a playful element, albeit one with an eerie undercurrent. The rhythm skips and lurches unpredictably, punctuated by ghostly chimes and whimsical, wavering guitar licks. It’s as if mischievous spirits are darting through the darkness, just out of reach. The track’s buoyancy is infectious, creating a moment of levity amid the album’s more brooding passages. This was my introduction to the album and remains my stand out track.
True to its name, ‘Mellow Swirl’ drapes you in a gauzy haze of softly strummed chords and woozy picked guitar. The melody feels weightless, drifting in and out of focus like a half-remembered dream. Subtle percussive flourishes add texture, while the synths shimmer like morning dew catching the first light of dawn. A moment of serene beauty within the album’s shadowy depths.
Drenched in nocturnal ambiance, ‘Owl Hour’ conjures images of moonlit treetops and silent wingbeats gliding through the dark. The interplay of reverb-heavy guitars and echoing drum patterns mimics the call-and-response of unseen creatures, creating a haunting yet soothing presence. The track feels both mysterious and oddly comforting, as if the forest itself is whispering ancient secrets.
Taking a more experimental turn, ‘(How to) Moonbow’ builds around looping guitar phrases that twist and evolve like shifting prisms of light. The hypnotic rhythm and pulsing bass create a mesmerizing effect, leading you deeper into a kaleidoscopic soundscape. Delicate synths swell in the background, enhancing the song’s celestial atmosphere.
A slow-burning, meditative piece, ‘Furrows’ is rich in texture, with layered guitars stretching out in wide arcs like ripples on still water. The track’s patient pacing invites introspection, its warm tones acting as a moment of calm amidst the album’s more turbulent passages. There’s a deep sense of longing woven into its melody, a gentle pull towards something just out of reach.
Closing out the album, ‘Sonic Broom’ sweeps everything away in a final burst of cathartic energy like a galloping horse ride. The pulsating rhythm locks into a hypnotic groove, guitars buzzing with electric fervour. As layers build to a swirling crescendo, the track dissolves into an ethereal fade-out, leaving you suspended in the liminal space between waking and dreaming.
Night Wobble is a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling through sound, a mesmerizing exploration of movement, stillness, and mystery. It captures the essence of a journey through the unseen corners of the night, each track serving as a chapter in an unfolding nocturnal odyssey. The album showcases Pretty Lightning’s mastery in crafting immersive sonic landscapes, balancing tension and tranquillity with an expert touch. By drawing inspiration from diverse genres while maintaining their signature style, the duo has created something both familiar and refreshingly unique.
Night Wobble is out on exclusive vinyl now via Fuzz Club Records. You can listen to the album over on the Pretty Lightning Bandcamp page.
You can follow Pretty Lightning on social media here…
Discover more from Static Sounds Club
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Static Sounds Club 