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Psychic Heat - "Sunshower" Stream

Psychic Heat on Record Store Day 2016 at Josey Records
Lawrence, KS garage rockers Psychic Heat are back and better than ever. They released their EP "Lighter & Brighter" in 2013. Despite re-releasing the EP last year with live versions added and playing live quite frequently, I was very antsy waiting for some more recorded output. But let me tell you, when I first heard "Sunshower" in its entirety, these boys were instantly forgiven for the wait.

Rather than instantly jumping into one of the mid-paced grooves that the band does so well, the album opens with "Anxiety Eater," a slow-churning headbanger that feels like a large mammal rearing up on its hind legs and growling at you. "Elixir" is perhaps one of the most savvy pop songs a Lawrence band has written in years. The song is a throwback psych rock banger with rippling guitar riffs, smart drumming, and striking lyrical imagery. Just as a flowery acoustic guitar part fades out and fools you into thinking the track is over, the band dives back in with the main riff and melts your face all over again. While many songs on the album offer up the tambourine-shaking, fuzzed out jams that are to be expected, closing track "Moment Moves On" takes all of that to another level. This acid trip of a cut offers four minutes of a mesmerizing bass groove and squirming synthesizers before the vocals finally come in, the band lets completely loose, and ends the record on a (very) high note.

While I'm sure the band has probably grown tired of the comparisons, many of their songs offer up the same type of sounds as Ty Segall and several other Castle Face Records bands, so fans of those acts should definitely listen. For anyone still wary of giving the record a shot, production and recording was handled by Ron Miller (of Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds) and mixing and mastering was handled by Kliph Scurlock (of The Flaming Lips), so you know the shit is going to sound good.


Stream the record below and buy it online, at a local record store, or at the release show 5/27 at The Brick in Kansas City.

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