Indie

The Brian Jonestown Massacre – “Makes Me Great // Out Of Body” [Song Review]

There’s a hovering, kaleidoscopic feel to “Makes Me Great // Out Of Body” (‘a’ Records), a deft and extensive exploration of intoxicating textures.

Published

2 weeks ago

04/30/2025

Randy Radic

The Brian Jonestown Massacre “Makes Me Great // Out Of Body” single artwork

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The Brian Jonestown Massacre releases their new A/B-side single, “Makes Me Great // Out Of Body,” the first new material from the psych-rock outfit in two years. The band will hit the road on an extensive tour of North America in September.

The brainchild of frontman, songwriter, composer, studio owner, multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, father, and force of nature Anton Newcombe, the band’s name acknowledges the impact of The Rolling Stones’s guitarist on rock music.

Since forming in San Francisco in 1990, The Brian Jonestown Massacre has released more than 20 albums, along with numerous EPs and singles, beginning with their debut single “She Made Me / Evergreen,” released in 1992. In 1995, the band released their debut album, Methodrone.

The controversial 2004 documentary film DIG! centered on the prickly relationship between Newcombe and frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor. Acclaimed as one of the greatest rock documentaries extant, a 20th Anniversary edition of the film, entitled DIG! XX, was recently released.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s sound blends elements of rock, psych-rock, country blues, shoegaze, and noise pop into fascinating musical creations.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre in 2025, photo by Joseph Eley

“Makes Me Great” merges tangs of psychedelia with aromas of folk-rock. Fuzzy, gleaming guitars provide a spellbinding matrix for Newcombe’s dreamlike vocals, while the hazy melody is akin to an amalgamation of The Kinks, early Rolling Stones, and The Byrds.

Revealing textures of ’60s pop and shoegaze, “Out Of Body” features jangly, shimmering guitars laced with lysergic surfaces topped by pensive vocals that almost drift off into the distance. At once mystical and hypnotic, the track suggests a mesmerizing hallucinatory experience.

There’s a hovering, kaleidoscopic feel to “Makes Me Great // Out Of Body,” a deft and extensive exploration of intoxicating textures.