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Sky Picnic, Farther in This Fairy Tale: Seeking, Hiding, Decoding

Brooklyn trio Sky Picnic originally self-released their debut full-length, Farther in This Fairy Tale, on CD in 2010. Now picked up by respectable German purveyors of all things spaced and psyched, Nasoni Records, a remixed and reshuffled version of Farther in This Fairy Tale is given the vinyl treatment. The differences between the two versions are substantial but not necessarily landmark – and by that I mean if you, like me, prefer CDs to other media, you’ll still find that version of the record a satisfying listen – but the mix of the vinyl edition is fuller and brighter, more suited to Sky Picnic’s style, which rests somewhere just underneath the all-out lushness of some of their European peers, but still too echoing and rich to be in line with the stripped-down minimalism of some American psych. The track listings of the two editions of the album are also different, with an edited version of extended cut “The Universal Mind Decoder” (cut all the way from 12 minutes to 11) appearing later on Side B of the vinyl than it does on the CD and the download-only inclusion of two bonus tracks at the very end, the first a two and a half minute ambient title cut and the second the open-spaced yet percussive “Warren,” which seems to lift its head only for the chorus before dipping back into the effects-laden murk of its breaks.

What’s reportedly a concept album about aging and the human condition begins appropriately enough with the hooky, child-like sprawl of “Hide and Seek,” a relatively straightforward structure complemented by the gentle vocals of guitarist Chris Sherman, whose layered, laid back melodicism leads the way for much of Farther in This Fairy Tale. Joined in Sky Picnic by bassist/vocalist Leah Cinnamon and Pete Meriwether, who handles drums and other percussion, Sherman weaves not so much a narrative about one person’s life journey as a thematic excursion lyrically, set to summery tones that, even in their darkest moments – there are some stretches in “The Universal Mind Decoder” that feel bleak, and the bluesy lead of pre-bonus-track album-proper closer “White Plane (Reprise)” has a wistfulness to it – never veer too far from the bright yellows and oranges on the overall spectrum. The later-titularly-reprised “White Plane” finds them loosening the approach some from the opener, but still keeping to the verse/chorus approach; the album’s gradual unfolding matching the stated concept it’s working from.

In that regard, pushing “The Universal Mind Decoder” to later on the record for the vinyl release all the more an appropriate move, since that song seems to be the culmination to which tracks like “Marker 25, 27” and “Seven,” (the curious thing about the former is that “White Plane (Reprise),” while actually titled after the preceding cut, actually reprises the choral themes first brought up here) are building. They’re engaging in their own right, and certainly more than just steps on the way to Farther in This Fairy Tale’s grander statement, but Sky Picnic set up a cohesive linear flow as well, no matter how well the mellotron and sitar sounds or “Seven” stand on their own as they fade out and lead to the more distorted guitar from Sherman on “Abbie’s Bike Ride.” The tone is thicker than the semi-acoustic “Seven,” but the reverbed wah swirls still make up a good portion of Sky Picnic’s overall aesthetic, and the mood they present is consistent. The mellotron returns for “Going Mad in Cambridge,” residing deep in the mix and sitting well alongside Cinnamon’s bass tone in the chorus. As grand as “The Universal Mind Decoder,” which follows, is, “Going Mad in Cambridge” shows the most melodic awareness and presents Sky Picnic’s best blend of psychedelic exploration and memorable songwriting, and is worthy of any late-‘60s/early-’70s comparison you could want to make.

Nonetheless, when “The Universal Mind Decoder” finally arrives with its In the Court of the Crimson King-style tonality and willingness to fade to ambience at a moment’s notice (think “Moonchild”), the sense is that the crux of Farther in This Fairy Tale is being realized. Sherman, Cinnamon and Meriwether do well playing the spacey atmospherics off the song’s more lucid stretches — the latter being responsible for not necessarily grounding the material, since I wouldn’t call it grounded, but adding a sense of cohesion — and though I wouldn’t say it’s working on a build, the return of the earlier movement toward the end satisfies all the same, Sherman’s echoing lead and Meriwether’s steady beat slowly drawing the song to a finish.

As much as it feels like an afterthought, “White Plane (Reprise)” — which, again, is actually reprising “Marker 25, 27” unless my tracklisting is wrong — features satisfying fuzz from Cinnamon and more natural-sounding leads from Sherman. The bonus cuts, beginning with “Farther in This Fairy Tale,” make sense in their own context. The title-track is darker guitar noise that doesn’t really fit with the album’s theme (though it’s included after “Going Mad in Cambridge” on the CD) and “Warren,” despite Meriwether’s tom work and crash cymbal, doesn’t accomplish anything in terms of sonics that cuts like “Abbie’s Bike Ride” didn’t already do, despite a noisy midsection of blissful weirdness. On the whole, Farther in This Fairy Tale will probably find its greatest welcome among heads already indoctrinated into the style, but in its more completely-realized vinyl edition, is definitely worth checking out for anyone craving sweetly-toned traditional psychedelic rock that’s neither caught  up in retro posturing nor bent on directionless instrumental jams.

Sky Picnic on Thee Facebooks

Nasoni Records

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2 Responses to “Sky Picnic, Farther in This Fairy Tale: Seeking, Hiding, Decoding”

  1. Milk K. Harvey says:

    Sounds good music, but band name sucks, really. My band’s too though, it’s,,,,, LOST CAUSES!!! (laughter)

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