Secret Machines

Don’t let the modern electronic whooshes fool you — Dallas noisemakers the Secret Machines were born 35 years too late. On their third album of synth-spiked psychedelia, the group (now down to a trio) goes into interstellar overdrive with a bunch of headphone-hugging cuts inspired by Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and, presumably, lots of drugs.

The Secret Machines aren’t into hooks, riffs, or anything pop-minded like that; they’re all about spreading ear-piercing vibes over five, six, seven minutes — whatever it takes, man. And like their prog-rock and acid-scarred predecessors, Secret Machines’ best tracks are the long ones: the guitar-drenched “Have I Run Out,” the aptly titled “The Walls Are Starting to Crack” (the mid-song breakdown is straight outta The Piper at the Gates of Dawn), and the closing “The Fire Is Waiting,” 11 minutes of clambering, churning freak-out. Shine on, you crazy diamonds.