If “These Boots are Made for Walking” is a pseudo masochistic overture to the inner workings of the heart and the outer consequences of love, then “Some Velvet Morning” is the even darker (if not relationally ominous) side of that moon, as it insinuates the presence of a non physical and romantic spell that forced Hazlewood’s character in the song to allow Sinatra’s character “Phaedra” infiltrate his tripped out, testosterone latent life.

To attempt to logically fathom the lyrics of this vague and nonsensical contemporary adult psych ballad without the aid of a powerful psychedelic would be a lost expenditure of time. There are so many elements to this unique track that contributed to its Billboard chart disappointment and cult success that only deciphering the lyrics and tone of the song too deeply would sully the abstract grandiosity of this ballad.

Compositionally, Hazlewood and Sinatra’s parts are written in two different time signatures. Hazlewood’s solo is in 4/4 and Sinatra’s part is in 3/4. This track is also said to have been recorded live, and was distinctly set apart from other pop songs of the era. A psych rock love ballad about a man on drugs who had an encounter with a mysterious nymph like creature must have been beyond some music listeners,because the song only reached number 26 on the Billboard charts in 1968, but historically, this song set the stage for an era of psychedelic music that continues to make it’s mark on western culture to this day. It has been covered just short of 20 times from 1968-2010, and arguably opened doors for psychedelic rock to hit the pop mainstream, as the only other successful bands who changed time signatures in their music were groups like, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, Jethro Tull and Frank Zappa.

Who would have thought a psychedelic cowboy and a pop princess who had experienced a string of pop failures would come together to make psychedelic history.

Jasno is one of those rock and roll survivors that continues to keep himself and The Vandelles as fresh and relevant as humanly possible. So without further ado, here’s my review of Strange Girls Don’t Cry by The Vandelles.

Stream the full album here.

The Vandelles’ ”Strange Girls Don’t Cry” is a maturely composed love-centric psychobilly album that highlights the truths and follies of love, sex and relationships as Jasno Swarez sees it. The most prevalent distinction between “Strange Girls Don’t Cry” and The Vandelles’ previous releases is that the band truly pushes the envelope in regards to experimenting with traditional pop and ballad-based rock compositional structures.

“Strange Girls Don’t Cry” is a post-modern Frankie and Annette-esque testament of the true challenges of modern day love and the confusion of emotions that tend to complicate the daily musings of reality. Good Boys Don’t Lie is a sexy and simplistic, yet experimental, beach ball pop song that accentuates the foundation of the record’s subject matter and general soundscape.

The album seems to be telling the story of a strange girl who is just out of reach of Swarez’s scope of affection. The music compliments the story with songs like In the City and Never See the Summer. Nonetheless, it should be recognized that Swarez’s voice is clean, powerful, and confident. The confidence and competence of the vocals (which are accompanied by lovely and feminine back-up singers on almost every track) enhance what would be a simplistic and somewhat minimal (particularly in regards to the percussion) experimental beach-pop, psychobilly album.

Swarez repeats the statement “I’m going to make you mine” in different variations a few times throughout this album, and songs likeNocturnal and Miles Away reflect the darker and more painful expressions experienced through love with the use of heavier drone effects and deeper, more dissonant tones.

The six-minute-long first track I’m Way Ahead of You embodies some ofThe Vandelles‘ earlier explorations in heavy experimental rock aesthetics, but this album seems to be more about poise, strategically restrained pop composition, and Jasno’s issues with girls.