Tipsoo

Psych pop. Pure tenor vocals and guitar countermelodies. It reminds me of Tame Impala, or some other blissed-out psych band. Each song is its own little kaleidoscope of alternating rhythms and melodies. It’s big, sprawling, ambitious stuff. Some of the songs drift to no particular destination, but others do make an impression. Definitely give it a try. It’s thought-provoking, dense stuff.

Recommended: 3, 4, 6, 10

1) “Open Handed: An Introduction” (3:30): Instrumental until 2:00. Friendly introduction.
2) “Traveler” (4:57): Voice important here. Synth playing in the background is a nice touch. Gets deliciously heavy and thick at the end.
3) “The Age is a Gift” (5:17): Trippy psychedelic accents on the singer’s voice. Great guitar countermelody.
4) “Headfirst” (5:13): Low-key opening focused on drums. Gets pretty contemplative around 2:30. Cool stuff.
5) “Looking into Rabbit Holes” (4:04): Chill, tripped-out. Real stoner track.
6) “Mount Rainier/Woke Me Up” (6:57): More nondescript in the beginning, stripped down. Grows into something insanely tripped out; then a short pause, and we launch into a new song around 2:30, which is really blissful stuff with a happy little synth pumping underneath. Memorable track.
7) “Reminder” (3:19): Quick stops and starts gives this song an interesting rhythm. It always feels a little unstable.
8) “Under the Same Sky” (4:41): More trippy, blissed out stuff. Beginning sets up a cool rhythm which is developed in cool ways.
9) “Technicatalyst” (4:25): Drifting through space. Very slow, controlled.
10) “A Pathless Travel” (5:41): A little tighter and more coherent than some of the other tracks, and has more energy. Lovely space for the guitar at the end.

--Mr. Tumnus