Some creative people have a well of inspiration that never runs dry. Their energy seems boundless. King Gizzard and The Wizard Lizard are like this, as evidenced by their innate ability to drop release after release. Philadelphia-based Jeffrey Alexander is also like this.
Alexander has been making psychedelic music for a very long time – most people in the scene call him a “lifer.” I first came across his work when I wrote about a release he did with his improvisational jam band Dire Wolves. He’s back again with a new-ish group, Jeffrey Alexander and The Heavy Lidders, and they released a terrific new album called Spacious Minds on June 16, 2023. (The excellent cover art is by Brian Chippendale).
The album starts with an epic 36-minute rendition of The Grateful Dead’s legendary “Dark Star.” It’s hard to write about a song like this because it encompasses the entirety of the cosmos. This song alone could be an album or EP in itself, yet Alexander and The Heavy Lidders brings us so much more.
“Cordial Ohms” is like most tracks – an instrumental exploration of what’s possible, if that makes the slightest sense. It’s chaotic and feels a bit disorganized, but I imagine it’s improvised, and, well, that’s the point. You may think the sounds are out of tune, but this is the intended effect – like something you’d hear from Sun Ra or Captain Beefheart. It’s all about experimentation and mind expansion.
“Sequoia Seed Escape Pod” has a lusher sound than the previous track, bringing in a broader array of instruments. I’m not a musician, so I couldn’t identify what was happening there, but I felt more colors in this song. It felt like Jackson Pollack dashing paint on a blank wall.
The EP ends with two tracks longer than 12 minutes. The first is “Hidden Treasure,” and the title made me curious. What is the band looking for here? What is Jeffrey finding in his long walks through the nature trails in Philadelphia? Or is this an inner treasure the band seeks – something more mystical?
Of all the tracks, this is the one that reaches the highest levels of mysticism. I may try to meditate on this one in the future. It feels like spiritual jazz, the way the various sounds flow in an ethereal quality. There are also the chanting vocals that I enjoyed so much from the Dire Wolves.
“Spacious Minds” is the only track with a somewhat traditional structure. But even in this song, the jams are pushed into overdrive, slinking and meandering along the psychedelic path. There are some lyrics here – I couldn’t make everything out, but I heard, “Open your eyes.” That’s the message. What are we opening our eyes to? Are we opening The Third Eye?!
“Spacious Minds” is an excellent closer with a run-time of more than 13 minutes. The guitar wails in a heavier tone, conjuring images of tie-dye light shows and Acid Tests. Let’s tune in, but let’s not drop out. Let’s connect with this but keep our heads out of the clouds. Let’s allow the music to overtake us, but remember; the transcendental must be couched in practicality. Let’s adopt “spacious minds,” remember to breathe, and enjoy the life teeming around us.
Final Thoughts
I can give you more background on Jeffrey and the Heavy Lidders, but I won’t bore you with the minutiae. Jeffrey is a super-accomplished musician, former label owner, and a damn professional at this. But he does it all in his way, as he has traversed the country planting psychedelic seeds wherever he goes.
Now that he’s in Philly, I regret moving away recently because I would’ve loved to connect and see him perform. C’est la vie. It should also be noted that this Spacious Minds EP was a live performance – it’s easy to lose sight of that. Record Crates United invited the band to perform this music you’re listening to at their inaugural garden party (in a backyard in New Jersey, if I’m not mistaken). That must have been an excellent experience.
A few final notes: Alexander’s Heavy Lidders have released two previous albums, and though they had a rotating lineup for a bit, they’ve seemed to settle and are now comprised of other top musicians from Elkhorn and Kohoutek. They plan to release a deluxe studio LP in September. In the meantime, Spacious Minds is an EP containing 76 minutes of music to get lost in. Enjoy.
Purchase Spacious Minds on Bandcamp here.
Support and learn more about Jeffrey Alexander by finding him on Bandcamp, his website, his linktree, or Instagram.
Parting words: “The time I burned my guitar, it was like a sacrifice. You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar.” – Jimi Hendrix
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