PAUL DONOVAN is chilled by the contemporary resonance of Harper Lee’s coming of age tale amidst racism and white supremacy in this excellent production
Psychic Ills
Inner Journey Out
(Sacred Bones)
4/5
THREE years in the making, the fifth album from New York City’s Psychic Ills is a slow-burn collection of slackerish guitar music.
The music is so slow and spaced out it verges on the stately.
Opener Back To You adds some country into the mix, while Another Change echoes the best of Primal Scream’s most druggy, soulful work. The band is joined by a plethora of musical acquaintances, including Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval who lends her beautiful voice to Mixed-up Mind.
Coca-Cola Blues has some beautiful woozy harmonica playing, with frontman Tres Warren intoning: “I don’t drink Coca-Cola anymore” because “it was keeping me up until four.”
Encompassing everything is a hippyish spirituality, including life philosophy quotes from Sun Ra and Dion in the album’s inlay notes.
File next to similarly unhurried, classy rock artists like Kurt Vile, Jonathan Wilson and Beachwood Sparks.
Gold Panda
Good Luck And
Do Your Best
(City Slang)
4/5
New releases from Kneecap, Sam Blasucci, and Juni Habel
New releases by Porridge Radio, The Cribs, and Bjorn Meyer
New releases from The Dreaming Spires, Bruce Springsteen, and Chet Baker
New releases from Allo Darlin’, Loyle Carner and Mike Polizze


