Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

St Johns Wood Affair — 2
(Bandcamp Think Like a Key TLAK1196, 2025, CD / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2025-10-15

2 Cover art

British neo-psych band St Johns Wood Affair just released their second album 2, not a follow-up, but a psychedelic storm reborn. Consisting of nine original compositions spanning 42 minutes, St Johns Wood Affair take you on a journey to the stars and beyond while blending 70s West Coast psych with Brit psych pop, ala The Kinks and The Beatles. But don’t be misled by the two familiar song titles “Magic Carpet Ride” and “TV Eyes.” These are not covers of either Steppenwolf or Iggy Pop. The album is pure pop psych with zero digital polish. I particularly enjoy listening to “Follow Me to the Stars,” a strong freaky siren call to voyage with St Johns Wood Affair through the cosmos. “Memory Lane” is more than a nod to The Beatles and The Kinks with its fragile piano and brass accompaniment. Another gem is the tremolo guitar on “Secret Garden.” “Magic Carpet Ride” continues the spirit of the mind journey of “Follow Me to the Stars,” especially with the guitar and organ solos at its climax. The album closes with its longest track (six and a half minutes) “Dream Farm,” a dreamy song with guitarist Keith Smart unleashing a blistering Strat solo. St Johns Wood Affair is a band on its rise. If you missed their self-titled 2023 debut album, do not hesitate with 2.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): St Johns Wood Affair

More info
http://stjohnswoodaffair.bandcamp.com/album/2

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.