The psych-tinged blues of recent Deli LA poll winners Las Brujas infuses a smoggy, fuzzed-out sound that can take one on a leisured drift. The Echo Park foursome are strictly devoted to the tenets of rock n’ roll though, embodying a murky, vaporous mist that falls somewhere between the rustic hard rock of Screaming Trees and the frayed modern-blues of Califone when they were still known as Red Red Meat. Its coarse-grained guitar tones do give it a sludgy distortion that recalls grunge when it was going through a period of evolution and confusion, calibrated with a mildly apathetic and placid temper. But the band does have an ear for a powerful hook, so their sound does occasionally flirt with the kind of winding guitars that give power pop that lustrous sheen (even the hushed, front-and-center vocals of Brian Jarmon have the same pristine, harmonic quality of Matthew Sweet). It’s too early to say how Las Brujas will further their sound just yet, but their recently released self-titled EP proves their might as confident players ready to push their craft in unforseeable directions. Have a look at their latest video "Sweaty Windows" below, and make sure to catch them at TRiP in Santa Monica on January 10th. – Juan Rodríguez
