High Desert Queen – Palm Reader

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · Published August 26, 2024 · Updated August 30, 2024

High Desert Queen is desert rock band based in Austin, Texas. They started in Houston in 2019 and relocated to Austin a year later. The bio on their website states: “High Desert Queen was formed when singer Ryan Garney and guitarist Rusty Miller went looking for a rhythm section to help complete some songs they had been working on. The stars aligned just right when Garney met drummer Phil Hook (Monte Luna) who quickly came on board. Now with HDQ adding Morgan Miller to hold it down on bass, HDQ is ready to elevate their play.” This is the current lineup of the High Desert Queen. The band released their second sophomore record this past May 31st, 2024 entitled Palm Reader. Containing seven tracks at 43 minutes long, this is the band’s first full length release on Magnetic Eye Records. I must say, it’s a killer!

The recording and production of this record are top notch. I believe they had the album mastered in Sweden by Karl Daniel Liden, whose credentials include working with: Dozer, Greenleaf, Lowrider, and Domkraft, to name a few. The sound quality is stellar and the songs are all in the stoner/desert rock style genre with metal guitar riffs, tight drumming, and excellent vocals.

The first song “Ancient Aliens” starts the record off with a nice stoner rock banger. A heavy and crunchy guitar riff begins the tune and kicks into a rocking groove. Ryan Garney’s singing is excellent and he displays a strong vocal delivery throughout. The head banging and foot tapping are immediate on this one. At around the 3 minute and forty second mark, the rhythm section of bassist Morgan Miller and drummer Phil Hook break into a nice groove while Rusty Miller layers a bluesy guitar solo over it. A nice addition to an already awesome song. The next track “Death Perception” is a cool and catchy tune featuring guest vocals from GAUPA’s Emma Naslund, from Sweden. Her voice is pretty unique and captivating. The chorus has Ryan and Emma singing together which works well for the song. The nine minute third track “Head Honcho” is one of my favorites on the album. The guitar starts the song with a slower rhythm and the rest of the band joins in thereafter. Garney’s vocals hit some higher registers on certain parts. The song has a good flow to it and excellent guitar leads from Miller. The band stay connected throughout and display heavy to softer dynamics. More grooves and bluesy guitar leads build up progressively along with Garney’s vocal range. The title track “Palm Reader” is next and has a funky vibe to it. The four and a half minute song has a nice groovy fuzz rock feel and displays more tasteful leads from Miller.

High Desert Queen has a familiar quality to their sound in line with the great artists of the early millennium but original enough to pull their own weight. “Time Waster” demonstrates this point and is right in line with the other songs for being a hard driving, rocking riff fest. “Tuesday Night Blues” shifts gears and launches a slow jamming, mellow blues song that crescendos into a heavier chorus part. Garney lays down some swagger spoken verses along to a mellow rhythm and then the band ascends into a heavier chorus. The set up for the final seventh track on the record has been put in place. “Solar Rain” starts off melodic and builds from there. The song has a slow and heavy metal riff towards the end that punishes, with guitar squeals and all. The rhythm builds into a colossal menace picking up speed in the process. It’s a monumental ending to an excellent recording. High Desert Queen have upped the ante from their debut record Secrets Of The Black Moon and are definitely a band to check out. Palm Reader will impress a lot of first time listeners and I’m excited to hear what they accomplish in the future.