Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, SACRED SHRINES has poured its deliciously nostalgic amalgamation of upbeat garage rock with inebriating psychedelic hues since 2014. The kooky quintet release their sophomore album, "Enter the Woods", which offers a pleasing combination of 60's and 70's retro flavours, melded with contemporary nostalgia of the 90's, delivering carefully-crafted carefree tracks, creating a laidback collection, brimming with sonic sunshine.

The trippy tones of yesteryear "Sgt Pepper" BEATLES pulsate in a purple haze in opener, title-track "Enter the Woods", morphing into the equally acid-drenched "Trail to Find", swimming in wistful vibes and snare-heavy brilliance that carelessly blows through, creating a heady saturation of delightful proportion. The audial exploration continues in alternative IGGY POP "Lust for Life" sounding "Front Row Future", all down-tuned guitars and a smattering of dissonance that grips.

SACRED SHRINES perfect blending nuances from all shades of the sonic spectrum, delighting with THE STONE ROSES appeal and delicate happy-go-lucky Pop flavour of "Keep all the Sunshine", injecting light and airy tones, radiating pure sunshine and happiness. In contrast, "Through the Haze", equally akin to THE STONE ROSES, yet with overt psych sounds, trudges with intoxicating, stifling tones, conjuring a lysergic radiance of hazed images in an unhurried tempo, muffling with a sonic shroud that asphyxiates. The retro vibe graduates once more in "Paint the Sky", sexily synthed and writhing with lust, ramping up to the come-hither, yet aloof, oppressive sound of heavy riffs in "Stranger", still layered with alluring Pop overtones in an impassive display.

"Enter the Woods" continues to impress with an almost early BLACK SABBATH "Planet Caravan" vocal stance in "Never Far from Where We Are", with rays of audial warmth that exude in a stifling 'summer of 1976 heatwave' sense, yet with an overall languorous feel, with leisurely tones that wash through with ethereal quality. The dreamlike appeal shatters with "Aching Bones", a nod to a DANDY WARHOLS meets KINKS vibe, merging to the mellowness of THE STONE ROSES feeling "Shadow Man", but with the delectable surliness of OASIS, as also experienced in the dominant predatorial track "The Hunter". Wrapping up the audial exploration, "Enter the Woods" serves up fully fuzzed psych feeling "Pass Like a Parade", a melodic woozy cut of sonics akin to a giant nebulous glow of orchestration and moaned vocals. There really is plenty to enjoy on SACRED SHRINES LP.

So, there we have it. The Sun-soaked, retro vibe, psych rock-meets-a-grunge-pop flavour release that is "Enter the Woods". There's a plethora of pleasant Pop hooks, interwoven with sickly-sweet harmonies, honeyed vocals with a touch of grit, and sporadic moments of upbeat doom flavours. The production deftly creates a seamless narrative within each cut, each track is expertly mixed with a loving touch, showcasing each piece as a work of art. SACRED SHRINES has mastered an all-round, gratifying, laid-back psychedelic trip, with alluring retro appeal.