March 12th, 2021 - Whoosh! And Just Like That... You Are Alone In Space

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and hop lovers... happy Friday!  The Meista here today getting the weekend off right by rocking out with an Alone In Space Hazy Oatmeal India Pale Ale from Mother Earth Brew Company and "Whoosh!", the brilliant and most recent album by legendary rockers Deep Purple!  Hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Deep Purple
• Title: "Whoosh!"
• Recorded: 2020 at Anarchy Studios, Ocean Way, and The Tracking Room in Nashville, Tennessee, Noble Street Studios in Toronto, Canada, and Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California
• Release date: August 7th, 2020 (21ststudio album by Deep Purple)
• Record company: earMUSIC
• Production: Bob Ezrin
• Album cover art: Jekyll & Hyde
• Personnel: Don Airey (keyboards), Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass), Steve Morse (guitars), and Ian Paice (drums)
• Additional musicians: Ayana George (backing vocals on "No Need To Shout"), Saam Hashemi (programming on "Dancing In My Sleep"), John Metcalf (orchestral arrangement on "Man Alive"), and Tiffany Palmer (backing vocals on "No Need To Shout")
• Musical style: Hard rock, progressive rock
• Sound: Pulling from their many talents and experiences, the sound on "Whoosh!" is wonderfully organic, tight, and chalk full of killer riffs and progressive interludes!  I would argue this album is one of their best... and I'm not talking like best in the last 20 years... I'm talking of their entire career!!  It is economical in approach with fairly short songs, yet still richly textured and filled with great hooks!
• Major subjects and themes: life, relationships, desire, humor, reality, equality, the transient nature of humanity, isolation, introspection, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Throw My Bones"
2. "Drop The Weapon"
3. "We're All The Same In The Dark"
4. "Nothing At All"
5. "No Need To Shout"
6. "Step By Step"
7. "What The What"
8. "The Long Way Round"
9. "The Power Of The Moon"
10. "Remission Possible"
11. "Man Alive"
12. "And The Address"
13. "Dancing In My Sleep" (bonus track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Mother Earth Brew Company (California)
• Website: https://www.motherearthbrewco.com/  
• Brew: Alone In Space Hazy Oatmeal India Pale Ale 
• Style: New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA) 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 6.9%
• IBUs: 30
• Ingredients: Sabro, Galaxy, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops
• Pour: The Alone In Space pours a very hazy, pale yellow-orange hue with a frothy, bright white, 1-finger head with good retention and soapy lacing. 
• Nose: The nose of the is citrusy, tropical, fruity, and earthy.  There are notes of orange juice and zest, grapefruit rind, tangerine, guava, mango, melon, peach, light coconut, light grain, soft caramel, and light pine resin.
• Taste: The tastes follows the nose and is characterized by citrusy, tropical, malty, and earthy notes.  There are notes of orange juice, tangerine, pink grapefruit juice, apricot, guava, mango, light pineapple, a hint of pine, creamy oats, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp and juicy, yet also smooth and creamy with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The bright, fruity elements of Alone In Space go great with overall progressive vibe of "Whoosh!" while the solid malt backbone goes well with the hard rockin' intensity and power that is and always will be the kick-ass Deep Purple!  I highly recommend both the album and the brew!

Cheers!