French psychedelic rock band Djiin are back with their sophomore studio album, Meandering Soul.

Chloé Panhaleux (vocals, electric harp), Allan Guyomard (drums), Tom Penaguin (guitar), and Charlélie Pailhes (bass) are Djiin. Their musical style is a fusion of progressive rock and stoner/psychedelic music. That sounds like a clash more than a fusion, but Djiin make it work with impressive fluidity. Meandering Soul is the band’s third release, after a live album and The Freak (2019).

There are six tracks on the new album. “Black Circus” begins cautiously, transforming into a casual vamp before rolling out the dooming slog. Vocalist Chloé Panhaleux layers her voice in a dizzying array of low and high, serious and languid. When she pauses, a prog segment kicks in, then tags her back in. It is like two different plays are going on at the same time on opposite sides of the stage and the spotlight is shifting back and forth. This pliant uncertainly leads smoothly into “Void.” The song is more of an evolution in and between its constituent parts than as the previous track, until the screaming near the end, that is. “Red Desert” has a heavier sound, a meatier vibe. And it has a louder feeling to it, a more out-loud intentionality.

The back half begins with a dark, sly smile – “Warmth of Death.” It takes about five minutes for the song to unwind, and it really cuts loose after that. “White Valley” is my favorite of the set for its guitars, the vocal treatment, and the melodious discord it enjoins. “Waxdoll” is the final piece, and it breaks the gate at a cracking pace. The middle is exploratory, and the off ramp is ethereal. There are so many different moving parts on this album that it is difficult to keep track of them. But then there is no need to, is there. Just listen and take it as it comes. Recommended.

Meandering Soul is out now from Klonosphere Records. Touch the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://djiin.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/djiin.theband/

Klonosphere Records, https://www.klonosphere.com/