Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade's fake late-'60s British psychedelia (it is fake, no one's denying that) is likable, though not as inspirational as the real deal. Certainly they don't miss many tricks: emerging-from-fishbowl vocal distortion, jaunty sing-along piano anchoring equally jaunty sing-along merry trippy tunes, occasional melancholy folky strums à la Pink Floyd at their mellowest and Donovan, an instrumental "Sitar Piece," some freakout guitar, and more, all varied enough so that it doesn't sound like schtick. (Most American '60s revivalist bands, whether reviving garage, psych, or whatever genre, could learn much from that apparently obvious but little-used strategy.) The specter of Syd Barrett informs just about everything Damien Youth lays his touch to, the difference here being he's aiming more for Barrett's whimsical sensibilities rather than his downcast and murky ones. You can certainly hear "See Emily Play"-style Barrett - Pink Floyd on "House of Small," while other cuts recall gentle early Pink Floyd outings (not necessarily with Barrett such as "See Saw" and "Point Me at the Sky." Pink Floyd is not the only hero, however; "Glass Room" is a pretty close mimic of John Lennon's late-'60s early-'70s vocal style. Fruitier items like "Icicle Rainbow" get closer to the poppiest material by Tomorrow or other numerous bands that clogged the Rubble compilations of obscure British psychedelic rock. For something with less of a blissful grin, there's "Dr. Centennial" about a doctor at a mental ward that goes mad himself and releases the inmates. Not a brilliant LP, but you can count on this: if you always regretted that the Dukes of Stratosphear didn't make more albums, you should make this your next stop. --Richie Unterberger - All Music Guide

The industrious Damien Youth is responsible for numerous '90s and 2000s indie psychedelic folk projects under his own name and as a collaborator with various other musicians. Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade is another of his side projects, and the most fun, lighthearted one. Although the back cover lists and pictures three bandmembers — Julian Star, Oliver Crumb, and Biff — in fact, all of the music was played and written by Damien Youth and Zane Armstrong. The sleeve of their LP Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade... Is Coming signifies that this is an archival release of a lost band active from 1967-1970 (all the tracks are dated with years from that span). In fact, however, this was recorded shortly before its 1999 release date. In effect, Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade are to Damien Youth and Zane Armstrong what the Dukes of Stratosphear were to XTC: a fictitious alter ego under which to indulge their love for classic British psychedelia. The difference, of course, is that XTC is pretty well known, whereas Damien Youth and Zane Armstrong could hardly be more unknown. To stretch the parallels with the Dukes of Stratosphear further, Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade... Is Coming sounds a lot like something the Dukes of Stratosphear might have cooked up. It's not as good as the Brit-psych it's modeled after, very little revivalist music is, after all. But the songs are reasonably convincing emulations of the lighter side of the Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, and indeed the lighter side of late-'60s British psychedelia as a whole. The mid-tempo pianos, periodic brass, flowery lyrics, and overall chipper feel also bring to mind the Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles and, much more arcane, the fine cult group Tomorrow. The sleeve is designed in such a way to even more convincingly emulate limited-edition late-'60s collector reissues, of the sort you see selling for way too much money in specialist London record shops. Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade also issued a 7" with the "single versions" of "House of Small" and "Frumpy and the Strange Machine." (3 stars) — Richie Unterberger - All Music Guide

Visit the official Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade website

Don’t be put off by this bona fide hoax. Disregarding the history written in the press release, which claims the band to be a ‘lost’ 60s act, this LP (and a single "House Of Small/ "Frumpy & The Strange Machine") feature the work of, I would imagine, an early 90s American band, in love with the Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Rubble / Circus Days comps. In line with the Dukes Of The Stratosphere, Paul Bevoir, The Aardvarks and The Nerve (other revisionists). Walter Ghoul, perhaps plagued by the lack of the big production of their heroes - the horns and strings are clearly synthesizers - have come up trumps in recreating quintessential UK ‘67-’69 psych-pop. The nasal Lennon-like vocal and sombre orchestration of "Glass Room", although plagiarizing key elements of the genre, are extremely captivating whilst "Dr. Centenial", a complete change of mood, has an Egyptian ambiance, supporting a tale of insanity that Roy Wood could have quite easily penned. Obviously these chaps know the emblems of the music they love very well and in toying around in a small studio with a variety of instruments and effects, and songs that remind you of others, have forged an impressive LP. The only thing I find baffling is their anonymity, these guys, if still going, should stand up and be counted, as their music has definitely a place in our time.
--John 'Mojo' Mills - Shindig! Magazine