Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna (Boston Phoenix, 10/28/08)

There’s a fine line between submitting to the infinite in the name of transcendence and being a self-indulgent jerk-off, and it’s one the NYC “underground” “collective” GGD have walked precariously for several albums and EPs. How to throw together so many interesting textures and flavors without turning out a batch of inedible crap, right? Well, they figured it out withSaint Dymphna (so named after the patron saint of mental illness, among other things): set some time limits, make shit catchy, and rein the magic in. It’s a strategy belied at the outset: “Bebey” is the sound of three musicians opening a portal to Hades, but will they know what to do once they step through? That question is answered once the song flows into the glittering Afro-crunk of “First Communion”: Liz Bougatsos’s wailing vocals collide with some seriously fuzzed bass while trailing spidery guitar runs that extend like DNA strands to infinity. Jam-band haters, rest easy: even though this album has a song called “House Jam,” it’s a tightly wound exercise in disciplined psychedelia, with motorik beats and powerful vocals. Saint Dymphna is the sound of a band of psychedelic dabblers finally getting their shit together.