Citay: Dream Get Together

The sonic hallmarks of stoner rock include thick, stuttering guitar riffs that spread like sand covering the Sahara; rhythms that plod along with the grace and fluidity of a brontosaurus stomping through molasses; and yowling, leather-throated vocals choking on Marlboros and Jack Daniels. In short, it sounds more or less like Black Sabbath. Then there’s psych-rock band Citay, whose third album, Dream Get Together, is a treasure trove of guitar sounds from the softer side of stoner rock, whether it’s the twin-guitar riffs on the blazing opener “Careful With That Hat,” the soaring Pink Floyd-style spaciness of “Hunter,” or the billowy acoustic strumming and majestic harmonies of “Mirror Kisses.” Citay’s dueling ax-men Ezra Feinberg and Tim Green (who similarly indulged in dazzling guitar heroics with The Fucking Champs) shred furiously throughout Dream Get Together, but their clean, mathematically precise leads put them squarely in the tradition of Queen’s Brian May and Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham, who never sacrificed melody (or nuance) in the service of rocking out. The meticulously constructed aural textures created by scores of overdubs by Feinberg and Green make songs like the epic instrumental “Fortunate Son” as much fun to contemplate as listen to, no matter what substances might be clouding your mind at the time.