Canadian psych-rock veteran C.ROSS (Chad Ross) has officially released his newest solo album, ‘Future Site of C.ROSS’, through Echodelick Records. Known as a pillar of the Canadian underground for his work with Quest for Fire, Comet Control, and The Deadly Snakes, Ross utilizes this seven-song collection to dive deeper into a “mellowfuzz” blend of psych-folk and cosmic rock. Recorded and mixed by Joshua Wells (Destroyer, Black Mountain) at The Mango Pit in Chicago, the project serves as a sophisticated evolution of his 2022 debut ‘Skull Creator’. The record features a collaborative spirit, with Wells contributing drums and keys, Aaron Goldstein providing evocative pedal steel, and Eiyn Sof adding ethereal backing vocals. Written largely in “hermit mode” while Ross was living in the woods of Ontario, the album balances fuzzed-out guitar riffs with delicate acoustic arrangements.
The lead single “Plant Your Eyes” encapsulates the record’s grounded yet otherworldly aesthetic, pairing “Crazy Horse fuzzed-out riffage” with lyrics exploring the constant vibration of the unknown. Other standout tracks like “Faster Than the Light” lean into a more traditional band energy, bridging the gap between Ross’s heavy psychedelic past and his more recent, introspective solo work. Critics have praised the album’s structure and the seamless interplay between Ross and Wells, noting that while it incorporates the pastoral, misty atmospheres of his previous projects, it also introduces a more cinematic and cinematic drone-heavy finish on tracks like “Unnatural Light.” ‘Future Site of C.ROSS’ stands as a factual and atmospheric document of an artist successfully navigating the space between gritty garage-rock and cosmic folk.