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For fans of: MGMT, Arcade Fire, Foxygen, The Velvet Underground
Let’s take a trip to Laurel Canyon sometime in the late 1960’s. There is yet a vessel to take us there, but at least our ears can make the journey. Triptides’ new EP, Colors is a serious call back to the sprawling sounds of the flower generation. Psychedelic, warm waves of sound encapsulate the entire feel of the album. The album was recorded in Lo-fi, making the nostalgia truly genuine. The band, Glenn Brigman- guitar, Josh Menashe- guitar, Dylan Sizemore- bass, and Josh Morrow- drums, describe their genre as Psychedelic Dreamrock. The band has a handful of previous singles with two full albums, Sun Pavilion (2012) and Predictions (2013).
The flow of the EP works very well. The opening track, Colors, makes you feel as if you’re cursing down California’s Pacific Coast Highway with the top down heading to catch some killer waves. That’s pretty impressive for four kids from Bloomington, Indiana. The first track sets the stage for the rest of the EP. You’re going to know right away if you dig Triptides’ style or not. There is nothing ambiguous about Triptides’ music, no grand gestures. They are all about steady, old fashioned, rock and roll with a touch of the experimental. Besides the opening track, another highlight of the album is Throne of Stars. The bass line is reminiscent of The Monkees in their heyday. The track gets a bit heavier near the middle with darker ambient sounds while the guitar travels into a minor key only momentarily. Then the song finds itself back into the opening feel, accompanied by the classic “ooo”s and “ahhh”s of the kaleidoscopic style. The EP ends with a slower, introspective track appropriately named Lullaby. This track is a great way to ease off that trip you just took with its mellow tone and almost hypnotizing vocal delivery. Most the album is recorded with distant sounding vocals and soft echoes from the guitar making the EP a bit of a time warp.
Staying true to their retro approach, the band has made limited addition cassettes for the album that includes a high quality download of the EP in the digital format of your choice. These cassettes are a fun novelty item a smart marketing tool for the band. Although, staying true to form, the band should probably be making an eight-track tape for this EP.
Track listing:
1. Colors 3:49
2. Destiny 4:24
3. Throne of Stars 3:55
4. Moonbeams 4:06
5. I Didn’t Know 4:04
6. Lullaby 4:20
