Damien Jurado Weaves Dusty Psychedelica On ‘Maraqopa’

Few contemporary musicians channel the surrealist cowboy better than Damien Jurado. Considering our love of psychedelic rock music, Jurado’s newest album and sixth for Indiana based Secretly Canadian tickles all the right nerve endings. Maraqopa elaborates on Jurado’s established sound with the finest marriage of folk, psych rock, and blues heard from the artist yet.

Maraqopa is the second collaboration between Jurado and producer Richard Swift. Lead single “Nothing is the News” (above) exemplifies how well these two work together: strumming blues guitar descends into blistering guitar solos, escaping vocals, and willowy chords that peak from the crushing wall of sound. Sun-scorched and desperate melodies echo the essence of Maraqope, as does the title tracks petite refrain, “All are welcome in.” Though heavy in its full arrangements, the songs themselves are as inviting as the chorus suggests. With sixteen years of releasing records under his belt, Jurado knows how to create an aural environment. Maraqopa achieves what Danger Mouse set out to with last year’s Rome; though the latter’s effort prevented full immersion (thanks to certain recognizable voices), Maraqopa sucks the listener in completely. Damien and Swift control every aspect of the music with such precision, each climax and release feels more natural than a drum circle and more emotive than a century old gospel.