There is a limit to how deeply a man can gaze safely at his own shoes, or how often he can step down on a vintage effects pedal. Anton Newcombe arrived at that threshold and crossed over it awhile ago, then built a murky swamp utopia on the other side. It’s never been more obvious from The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s latest album — the mesmerizing, riff-sublimating Aufheben (A.) — Newcombe is at peace over there. It’s a place where every seam is spackled with organs, where eastern beats get supporting roles and impish laughs make cameos, where drummers become robots, where the singing never stops but the words are indiscernible, where a flute may be played with impunity. “Psych-rock” is a loose genre tag for sure, but Newcombe has found an edge and he’s poking at it from the inside, like an ant in a soap bubble.
Thu., Aug. 23, 9 p.m., $20, with Magic Castles, Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., 215-232-2100, utphilly.com.
