Heavy on the Mellotron, fuzz tones, and paisley, The Black Hollies Softly Towards the Light has more psychedelic homage than a stack of Bomp! fanzines. You wouldn’t guess, then, that three out of four members of the band had toiled long and hard in the New Jersey post-hardcore outfit Rye Coalition. But that hoodie-to-turtleneck-and-sunglasses swap-out isn’t as awkward as it might seem.

Bassist/vocalist Justin Angelo Morey has a sharp ear for ’60s R&B hooks and Zombies-style harmonies. “Gloomy Monday Morning,” with it’s farfisa organ grooves, is such a thorough psych-pop forgery that even Lenny Kaye wouldn’t know for sure. And a lifetime of high volume pounding will do wonders for your rhythm section. Strawberry Alarm Clock could have benefited from such a stint on the New England basement-show circuit.

The Black Hollies w/ Title Tracks and Brian Scary and the Shredding Tears
@ Black Cat
$10 8:30 pm
1811 14th St. NW