''Clairvoyance'' is the 1986 debut studio album by the

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band

Screaming Trees Screaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington, in 1984 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner, and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the tim ...

, produced by

Steve Fisk Steve Fisk is an American, Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician. As a musician, he has been in bands such as the instrumental alternative/indie rock band Pell Mell and the electronic band Pigeonhed. He has long been as ...

. Released on Velvetone Records, the album helped the band earn a contract with

SST Records SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was formed in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Tuners, a small business through which he sold electronics equipm ...

. While it is very much a combination of

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

and

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

, it bears many similarities to early

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...

. It was original limited to a pressing of 2,500 copies, which included full size, double sided inserts. In January of 2005, it was re-issued on CD by Hall of Records.

stated that after completing the record he attempted to book a tour for the band and sent their album to local radio stations with little to no traction, stating that "no one wanted to hear about a band from Eastern Washington".

Critical reception

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yamamo ...

guitarist

Kim Thayil Kim Anand Thayil (born September 4, 1960) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he co-founded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984. Cornell and Thayil ...

listed ''Clairvoyance'' as one of his favourite grunge albums, stating: "I like ''Clairvoyance'' for the song “Clairvoyance,” but my favorite song on there is probably “I See Stars” followed by “Orange Airplane.” After this album, they kind of fattened up their sound."

Track listing

Personnel

; Screaming Trees *

Mark Lanegan Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the St ...

– lead vocals, violin on "Strange Out Here" *

Gary Lee Conner Gary Lee Conner (born Lee Gary Conner, August 22, 1962) is an American rock musician, best known as the guitarist and primary songwriter for Screaming Trees. Career Originally from Ellensburg, Washington, Conner formed the band Explosive Gene ...

– guitar, backing vocals, organ *

Van Conner Van Conner (born March 17, 1967) is an American rock musician, best known as the bassist for Screaming Trees. Career As a bass player in high school, Conner formed the band Explosive Generation with his brother Gary Lee Conner and Mark Picke ...

– bass, backing vocals *

Mark Pickerel Mark Pickerel is an American musician best known as the original drummer for the alternative rock band Screaming Trees. He is also an active session musician and has released several solo albums as a singer/guitarist. Biography Originally fro ...

– percussion, drums ; Additional musicians * Joey Conner – backing vocals on "Orange Airplane" * Joanne Conner – backing vocals on "Clairvoyance" *

– producer, piano on "Lonely Girl" and "Clairvoyance," organ on "The Turning" * Michael Peterson – backing vocals on "Lonely Girl" ; Additional personnel * Sam Albright – cover design * John Golden – mastering

References

Screaming Trees albums 1986 debut albums Albums produced by Steve Fisk {{1980s-alt-rock-album-stub