Pseudosix
I got a record in the mail last week and it sat on my desk for a while, then I got a reminder, and wow, it’s pretty great. I love stumbling across records that surprise me, and Pseudosix’s self-titled album is one of those. The band, based in Portland, is made up of some Joggers, Dolorean and The Standard folks along with friends, and their sound is going to be familiar to those already into Blitzen Trapper, Grizzly Bear and Akron/Family. Those comparisons might sound a little broad, but I’m pretty sure it’s right on the money. The songs are sparkling and well-crafted pop gems with a darker, more complicated underbelly. “Some Sort of Revelation” begins with a gorgeous, ’70s inspired guitar tone and a haunting piano lead, followed by vocals that remind me of Neil Young. The howling climax is pure Akron/Family, swirling against violin and chimes, slowly coming back down to that grounding guitar.
“Enclave” is equally impressive, featuring dark, hushed vocals that help to present a clean, simple guitar interlude that continues the trend of perfect sound forever: the harmonies, the lush but not overdone instrumentation and the scope of influences are all reason to give this record a listen, but I find myself most impressed with how goddamn good these guitars sound to me. At times it’s almost Malkmus-like, other times dirty, as if Oldham walked in the studio. In its most beautiful moments, I detect some of the perfection that Tweedy and Nels Cline found on Sky Blue Sky (think “Impossible Germany”).
I’ve been listening all morning and there’s no end in sight, this one is a winner. It’s out on August 28, I encourage you to seek it out — don’t be mislead by the album art’s ominous owl amidst a night: it’s not gloomy enough to be distressing.
[...] Pseudosix is a sweet Portland band made up of members of other sweet Portland bands (like Joggers). Our friend Paige at Flux=Rad has declared herself a fan, calling the songs on the band’s upcoming sophomore LP “sparkling and well-crafted pop gems with a darker, more complicated underbelly.” Like Paige, we kind of put off listening to the album for no real reason, but it turns out she’s absolutely right. Case in point: “Under the Waves,” a rolling, extremely catchy (yet slightly seedy and menacing) ’70s-inspired pop tune that we’ve had on blast all night. Also, GvsB contributor David would like to add that this song reminds him of “an outro to a ’70s movie about a sort of raggedy LA cop.” Nobody ever escapes the ugly undertow: [...]