Psychedelic rock
Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt strikes out on his own for his second album under the Lotus Plaza moniker, released by the always-wonderful Kranky Records. There’s a lot of hazy, dreamy music in the world right now, but Pundt stands at the top of the pack by dint of his songwriting and his ability to marry the intimate with the immense in his sound so smoothly. Every song’s a highlight, but especially recommended are 2, 4, 5, 9. No FCCs detected.

1. (1:26)—Instrumental. Melancholy, ethereal ambiance.
2. *(4:31)—Medium-fast tempo. Lush, massive, hazy rock with jangly guitars and a driving beat. The last minute is a gradual slowdown with intertwined guitars. One of the best songs I’ve heard all year.
3. (4:33)—Medium-slow tempo. Features distorted instrumentation and a huge, particularly pop-oriented chorus complete with “oh-oh-oh”s. Swirling guitar noise dominates the last minute and a half.
4. *(3:39)—Mid-tempo. Switches between soft passages led by acoustic guitar and the expansive rock sound of the previous two songs. Achingly gorgeous chord progressions.
5. *(4:06)—Mid-tempo. Yowling distorted guitars predominate the verses, while the choruses are lush and blissful.
6. (3:35)—Starts off as straightforwardly structured, mid-tempo pop, but gives rise to a heavy extended coda. Long fadeout starts at -0:30.
7. (6:33)—A simple, medium-fast electronic beat propels this hypnotically repetitive, dreamy tune. Lovely psych road music.
8. (5:05)—Mid-tempo. Glistening electronics make their presence felt in this beautiful, calming song that wears its name well.
9. *(5:08)—The insistent, medium-fast beat creates a road-ready feel similar to that of track seven, though the lyrics and guitars give this song a more wistful, crepuscular aura.
10. (5:31)—Slow. Although the first two minutes, featuring only vocals and acoustic guitar, signal a major change in sound, the airy electronics that appear halfway through place this song firmly within the sonic world of the rest of the album.