In the music spotlight: The Dream Syndicate

Perhaps the most beloved of Steve Wynn’s wide-ranging musical outlets is alternative/psychedelic rock band the Dream Syndicate. Formed in Los Angeles, the band became a leading export of California’s Paisley Underground scene with the 1982 release of “The Days of Wine and Roses.” After disbanding in 1989, the group reignited in 2012 with founding drummer Dennis Duck and veteran bassist Mark Walton. The quartet is now touring behind its first LP in almost 30 years. Wynn refers to “How Did I Find Myself Here?” as the Dream Syndicate’s “laboratory of past, present and future.”

“Our hope was to make something that would somehow connect to our past and make old fans happy, but also but also give us the freedom to go to new places,” says Wynn. “We did that. In my mind, we’re a new band that shares a name and history with a band from the ‘80s.”

“Filter Me Through You” applies a fresh twist to classic Dream Syndicate hallmarks. Television, Crazy Horse and Velvet Underground echo through a blanket of roaring, intertwining guitars. Jagged rocker “Out of My Head” is driven by Duck’s thundering pulse. The tale of midlife desperation “80 West” begins with the grim lurch of Mark Walton’s bass, tracing to past highlights like “That’s What You Always Say.” The songs leave ample room for discord, feedback, and jazz-styled improvisation.

Longtime Wynn sideman Jason Victor now fills the group’s critical role of lead guitarist to perfection. His slash-and-burn guitar electrifies songs including “The Circle.” “There’s no person more qualified in any respect for this job than Jason,” says Wynn. “And he’s a fan of the band. He knows better than me, Mark, and Dennis what makes the Dream Syndicate tick.”

With its chilled-out keyboard, slowly unfolding vista, and spectral, clattering howl, the album’s title track forms a weird hybrid between the Doors’ “Riders on the Storm,” the Temptations’ “Papa was a Rolling Stone,” and Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew.”

“We’ve realized what are is a groove band,” says Wynn. “We let things sprawl and repeat, so your mind can do the rest. It’s like when you stare at a picture for a long time, and other patterns emerge from your eyes going buggy. We do that with music.”

The twanging riff for “Glide” sails from a wide-open horizon. The song blends REM’s tuneful jangle with My Bloody Valentine’s swirling jet engine roar. Wynn sings about finding contentment, even if bliss proves elusive.

“It was inspired by a book called ‘The Lay of the Land’ by Richard Ford,” says Wynn. “He wrote about what he calls ‘the existence period,’ when you’re not moving toward or away from something – you’re just living. That can be liberating, and it’s probably why we can be the band now that we couldn’t in our 20s. At that age, there’s so much angst about ‘Where’s this going? What if it doesn’t happen?’ Now, we don’t think about that. Each night, we just make sure we’re being the Dream Syndicate, and that’s enough.”

* The Dream Syndicate, 8 p.m., Dec. 4, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport. Admission: $20–$30 (ages 17+) thaliahallchicago.com.

Jeff Elbel is a local freelance writer.