the psychic shades - Time traveller

The Psychic Shades

Time Traveller
self-released; 2014

3.6 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

The Psychic Shades is a relatively new five-piece band that recently released a three-song EP entitled Time Traveller. From this sampler of sounds it seems as if the band is well on its way to being a formidable force in the alternative/indie rock scene. The band cites comparisons to contemporary acts such as Arctic Monkeys and Muse but I heard a good chunk of ‘70s classic rock in there along with the blues. 

They cover a wide variety of sounds despite only having three songs on this EP. I especially enjoyed the rich variety of tones and manipulation coming from the keyboards. Take for example the first song “She’s Back,” which opens up with warm ‘70s funk-inspired sine waves that isn't to be found on other songs. On “She’s Back” the vocalist sounds a bit like Barry Hay from Golden Earring as he sings, “She wore me out, played me like a fool / She's out of clout / Fuses with fuel / And she cries.”  The bottom line is that the song has a lot of energy and weaves in instrumentation strategically making the song engaging.

The second track ”Buckle Down, Knuckle Down” sounds like the B-side to a Bad Company song. The guitars are gritty and the vocal line is infectious as the band solidifies that they can write a solid song. I particularly was impressed by the last minute of the song. The band comes at it hard with an intense, wicked bass line, pounding drums and wild keys. It almost sounds like Rage Against the Machine went psychedelic. 

The third track “Time Traveller” was a bit deceiving. It opens with a slight sappy, slow piano but is quickly replaced by one that is played twice as fast and quickly accompanied by drums, bass and guitar. The song is solid and contains a number of intense moments.

Overall, Time Traveller delivers some good material; I’m looking forward to seeing this band's growth and hopefully a full-length album.

Become A Fan

Tweet