Music is a seemingly endless commodity, from which pours every flavour of creative nectar imaginable.
Against all odds, music continues to be released that defies its predecessors to become something unheard of, however, it certainly becomes more difficult as the creative landscape expands ever further. Spaceman attempt to break the barriers of musical constipation in their new album, Palm Haus.
Palm Haus shows a band with endless potential navigating their way towards originality in a minefield of inspiration; Spaceman could be ones to watch.
A genre that has grown particularly popular over the past few years thanks, in no small part, to trip gods, Tame Impala, is psychedelia. Among the dank ether of copycats and wannabes, some artists have emerged to expand upon the modern psych era, while some struggle to shake off the unmistakable input of their inspiration.
For Spaceman, a middle ground seems to have been forged where, whilst moments of gold sit glistening, the major landscape of Palm Haus remains a mine yet to be reaped of its potential.
The Stars Are Not Eyes opens both the album and our eyes to the unbridled originality the Fremantle 5-piece have to offer. Remaining mostly instrumental, the track blooms from the petit bud of sound that is an 80s style drum machine, into waves of blossoming colours and an all out psych jam that chugs along with a sense of ease and perpetual motion, yet breathes an air of familiarity that draws closer and closer to imitation as its themes recur in the following tracks.
There’s no doubt that the band have hit on some inspired soundscapes, especially in cuts like Slow Dream, a mid-LP cruiser that swims in those 80s drum machine vibes that endeavour to set the band apart. Wheezing drones of organic synth bend their way through the cracks in the piece, holding up monotonous vocals to make for an easy and cheery listen.
The album’s lead single, Grains of Sand is undoubtedly a sonic standout yet, an example of the more derivative songwriting Palm Haus has in store. Echoing layers of vocals ride the steaming locomotive drums into a whirlwind of trippy madness which is ever satisfying yet, not unfamiliar. This brand of psych is increasingly common, it seems, in Aussie bands.
[bandcamp width=350 height=470 album=1932140823 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=2ebd35 tracklist=false]
Again, there are undoubtedly moments of glory. If one is searching for an artist’s most honest and bare creative forays, always skip to the last track of a record. Veils on Eyes closes the LP in a joyously off-kilter manner, allowing a listener to imagine clearly the potential for originality of a band just beginning to sprout the first of many feathers in their wings.
Distorted vocal howls breed cosmic swirls in the track’s cheeky soundscapes while the track bounces along. Keep an eye on Spaceman, they’ve got a big future ahead of them as they discover their creative potential.
Check these guys out at their upcoming tour:
June 24 – Mojo’s Bar (Perth) – Album Launch
July 1 – Yah Yah’s 2am (Melbourne)
July 2 – Evelyn Hotel (Melbourne)
July 4 – The Old Bar (Melbourne)
July 5 – The Howler (Melbourne)
July 6 – Beach Rd Hotel (Sydney)
July 7 – Freda’s Bar (Sydney)
July 8 – Oxford Art Bar (Sydney)
July 16 – The Bird (Perth)
