Naam
Ballad of the Starchild

Naam can mean any number of things, in sikhism it is something used to describe the union of the mind and spirit with Reality; which is to be attained by the devoted repetition of his Name both verbally and "mentally". Naam is the sign, the symbol and the song of God. It is the key to enter into the presence and the heart of God. By adoration and singing his praises, saintly hearts glow within. Naam brings in peace and tranquillity; and a calmness that otherwise can never be experienced. It can also be an indian movie, or the abbreviations for the National African American Museum and the National Association of Automobile Museums. It can also be an american psychedelic rock band from New York. I suppose you can gather which one it is that I am reviewing here.

Isn’t it funny when the labels/promotors don’t send any info with the records just a black disc saying the name of the album? Guess you don’t know that, but it is always nice to have some information about the band to draw upon when writing. What I have gathered from the interweb is that Naam has one studio album behind them and this is their third EP from the start which is said to have happened in 2008 or something like that. I don’t think we can dismiss that they are inspired by bands like Pink Floyd or Hawkwind either as their music is reminiscent of that kind of music. It is psychedelic, sort of vague in all areas, there is no distinctive impressions, it is almost a bit like exploring an empty region of space with nothing of real consequence present. Kind of like Star Trek Voyager without the excitement, just the exploration of unknown space. The five tracks shows a natural progression with a small touch of variation going through them making it feel like the music has come quite a bit from the start even though it hasn’t come that far. The 26 and a bit minute playing time is just enough because if it would have been any more it would have made me fall asleep.

The reviews of this album has ranged from quite boring and tiresome to extraordinary or thereabouts, I believe that the answer is somewhere in the middle of those. It is well made, it has a good atmosphere and has a sort of feeling of being suspended in the air or in time but it has no distinct features other than the atmosphere and that makes it rather tiresome in the longer run. So I would say that it is rather good but nothing I would want to listen to in any kind of bigger dose. A bit boring I would say, but still good at the same time.

If you like psychedelic rock you will probably enjoy this one, if you like Naam from before I think you might enjoy this as well, some indications points towards that at least. If you like distinct choruses and some energy in the music you listen to, then you’d better stay away from this as it offers nothing like that. Sort of a Hawkwind without the soul and the quality, maybe that is a bit harsh but it is all atmosphere and no substance, kind of like a gas giant.