A swirling eddy of Farfisa and electric 12-string-led sun-drenched harmonies and gently rendered keys shifts,
Afterglow sees the Los Angeles-by-way-of-Bloomington, Indiana psych-rock troupe delivering the audio equivalent of beachfront property. The group's fifth studio long-player, the 12-track set has been described by the band as "transitional" -- they relocated to the West Coast shortly after its creation -- but while it certainly is a breezier affair than 2015's Azur, it's still firmly ensconced in the lava lamp glow of the '60s. Unlike some contemporary psych-pop outfits,
Triptides have little interest in obfuscating their love for revered genre spellcasters like the
Byrds, the
Beatles, and
Piper at the Gates of Dawn-era
Pink Floyd, and much of
Afterglow is indeed spent picking fruit from familiar fields. That said, it's easy to turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream when the water is this warm, and songs like "Summer Is Over," "Rewind," and "Throne of Stars" are as transporting as they are ancestral. [
Afterglow was also released in an LP edition pressed on colored vinyl.] ~ James Christopher Monger