The Black Angels “Watch Out Boy” b/w “I’d Rather Be Lonely” 2012. Limited edition on orange vinyl, Blue Horizon.* Side A’s “Watch Out Boy” is sweetly despondent, the string section and slide guitar filling in fuzzy spaces while Side B’s title, “I’d Rather Be Lonely,” is a juxtaposition to the tune’s light 60′s-flavored sun-drenched psychedelic jangle. The single is far less stoney and shoe-gazery than the full-length LP’s I’m more familiar with, brushing the edge of late 60′s Beatle-esque pop, yet still retains the echoey and atmospheric flavor that is The Black Angels’ sound.

*The Blue Horizon label piqued my interest: it originated in the 60′s as a British blues record label, releasing singles by Hubert Sumlin (Howlin’ Wolf’s guitarist), John Mayal and Eric Clapton. After striking a deal with CBS it landed Fleetwood Mac, releasing some of their late 60′s singles, but the label ceased production in the early 70′s. In 2010 the founders of Sire Records reactivated the label and issued several Black Angels LP’s, EP’s and singles, including Phosphene Dream, Clear Lake Forest, Indigo Meadow and one of my favorite singles from Indigo Meadow “Don’t Play With Guns,” as well as, weirdly, Dion’s Tank Full of Blues as well as Dionne Warwick’s 50th anniversary album Now.