Sides And In Between, The

Psych rock/psych folk. At their best, these guys have a bizarro country vibe; at their worst, kind of a punchless pop one. Lots of psychedelic accents and tropes, but the lead singer’s nasal voice has a way of cutting through the clutter. Lyrics can be forgettable, but some of the instrumental sections are neat. The whole thing has kind of a vintage aesthetic, like it was made on cassettes before I was born.

Recommended: 1, 4

1) “Rotten” (2:52): Nice movement in the guitar, and good decisive start.
2) “Magic” (3:10): “Magic / it’s magic…” It’s OK.
3) “Get Closer” (3:27): Summery song, upbeat. Guitars jangle.
4) “Still Alive” (3:00): More of a bizarro country vibe, which I think plays to their strengths. Picking around on the high end of the guitar.
5) “Going Home” (3:00): Synth and whistling touches.
6) “Knee Deep” (3:41): Growling on the low end, picking on the high end. More folky. Strings add some drama at the end.
7) “Heading South” (3:09): Voices a bit dirtier, like they’re being filtered through an old-time radio.
8) “Undone” (3:15): Emphatic whistling, and lots of plinking on the piano. Singer is particularly nasal here.
9) “It’s You” (1:48): Chorus droning in the background--sultrier.
10) “The Last Trace” (2:04): Very straightforward poppy song without too much punch.

--Mr Tumnus