Kevin Bronson on January 4th, 2023

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Supergloom combines the talents of four guys who go back a decade (or more) in various L.A. indie bands. The quartet — Bertrand Vellky, Peter Doherty, Shane Graham and Ethan Alden — got together during the pandemic and on a lark decided to do a couple Queens of the Stone Age covers. There was chemistry, so they decided to push things and try some original material.

Their “Supergloom” EP, released last summer, is the sound of the quartet stretching out. Lush and expansive, their experimental psychedelic rock remains loyal to the melodic and harmonic inclinations of their space-rock forebears, with elastic arrangements and tempo shifts adding tension to their songs while leaving intact their beauty. All the pieces fit, especially the vocals by Vellky and Doherty, who trade off singing lead and harmony.

Maybe the lyric from the EP’s lead track, “Cut the Ties,” captures its spirit the best: “Living life passively / It’s not worth it, is it?” All polished players, the members of Supergloom could have settled for merely sounding dreamy and pretty. They didn’t.

As they begin a Wednesday night residency this week at Harvard & Stone, the quartet is already working on new music.

||| Stream: “Cut the Ties”

||| Also: Stream the band’s EP in its entirety

||| Live: Supergloom perform free shows every Wednesday night in January at Harvard & Stone, starting tonight, with Wicked Lips and Brother Swan supporting.