Psychlona Post “Magic Carpet” Video; Warped Vision Out Sept. 27
“Magic Carpet” — for which UK desert-style heavy rockers Psychlona have an extra-classy, sharply-dressed new video posted below — is the closing track on the band’s new album, Warped Vision, which is out Sept. 27 through Magnetic Eye. If a hazy, slow-moving cloud could also be a monolith, that might come close to capturing some essence of the mood between “Smoke” and “Topanga” spread throughout the 45-minute eight-tracker, which is the band’s fourth overall and first for the new label. They have been through some lineup changes since 2022’s Palo Verde (review here), bringing in Martin Wiseman as guitarist/backing vocalist and adding bassist Ian “Izak” Buxton to the rhythm section alongside drummer Scott Frankling, and while there’s some inevitable shift in dynamic as a result, they remain fueled by the riffage of founding guitarist/vocalist Phil Hey. To date, Psychlona have never wanted for consistency. Warped Vision rocks accordingly; heavy and able to lean into and out of psychedelic nuance built around solid verse/chorus structures. Those who followed the Bradford-based outfit from 2018’s Mojo Rising (discussed here) and 2020’s Venus Skytrip (review here) through Palo Verde will both know what to expect and be pleasantly surprised by the way Warped Vision goes exploring, approaching new ground on sure footing.
The two halves of the record play well off each other in purpose. Opener “Jasmine” has its quirk but is ultimately a straight-ahead desert rock banger with marked swing in Frankling‘s drums and a welcome post-Kyuss shove in the verse. “Let’s Go,” which follows immediately, keeps this urgency in a double-time hi-hat through the quiet guitar intro, and is comfortable in an uptempo pace, laid back despite the significant density of the fuzz, lyrics presented in void-bound echoes, catchy and reminiscent of ’90s Britpsych revivalism without losing the capital-‘h’ Heavy quotient in its sound. On the other side of “Smoke,” “Cut Loose” will wrap side A with similar targets in its sights, a more metallic nod maybe to go with its sense of space, but a nod just the same. But it’s in “Smoke” that the departure from the opening salvo really happens; a mellower and more drifting semi-‘gaze feel that makes the most of Hey‘s vocals atmospherically as it sets up the transition to more grounded push in its final third.
Side B functions almost the same, only different (ha). The aforementioned “Topanga” opens and seems all about crunch and twist initially — one is reminded of latter-day Snail in the breadth of its chorus — but shifts after 4:30 into a comedown march topped with jammy strum, and the trade between drift and drive becomes even more stark on “Kaleidoscope” as the four-piece bring a sinister undercurrent forward in the guitar that’s consuming but not necessarily aggressive in terms of sounding pissed off, especially with the spoken recitations of the verse. They find their pocket, and whether a given part is loud or quiet, it’s all loud in spirit. Fluid in its changes, “Kaleidoscope” is a highlight like “Topanga” before it, but Psychlona have vibe-expansion to offer with “Split,” essentially flipping the balance of “Smoke” on its stoner rocking head and thereby lending an even more open impression to what’s Warped Vision‘s longest inclusion (not by a ton) at 6:18, with fuller tonality takes hold for a consuming finish.
This, then, is the setup that precedes “Magic Carpet,” and if it seems odd that a band with so many songs about weedy living would don tuxedos in the video that follows, you’ll probably never see me in tails, but I get where they’re coming from in thinking it’s an occasion for which it’s worth getting dressed up. The jazzy drums at the outset and floaty guitar give over to a vital roll in the hook, underscoring the flexibility Psychlona foster as they play to style in a vision of classic-style desert-hued psychedelic heavy rock. It’s not the most intuitive of singles — which only adds to the appeal in my mind, especially since the record’s out — but “Magic Carpet” doesn’t need to be as immediate as “Jasmine” for where it is on the record, and by the time it gets to its layered-solo apex, it’s a party either way. If the story of Psychlona has been about songwriting since the days of Mojo Rising, well, it still is, but the scope of that has grown duly encompassing over the last eight years.
If you find yourself swept up in “Magic Carpet” — shades of Steppenwolf — the best advice I can give you is to hit play on the album stream near the bottom of the post and go back to the start with “Jasmine” and “Let’s Go,” both prior singles. I’m sure you’ve heard the record already because you’re cooler than I am and you always have been — the magic is in you, whether or not you’re a carpet — but should you end up using the clip as a catalyst for further visitation to Psychlona‘s vivid-color slice of reality, I think that’s the idea in the first place.
Enjoy:
Psychlona, “Magic Carpet” official video
http://lnk.spkr.media/psychlona-warped-vision
“’Magic Carpet’ was a jazzy guitar piece Martin brought along to rehearsal one day. The riff just sounded cool and upbeat so we brought it down with some dark lyrics, but gave it some welly with a mega-riff in the second half. This one should get the pit going – then it’ll be goodnight from us.” — Phil Hey/Psychlona
Recorded and produced by Andy Hawkins at the Nave Studios, Leeds, UK
Video filmed at Sunbridge Wells and Voltage Studios, Bradford.
https://sunbridgewells.co.uk/
http://www.voltagestudios.com/
Directed & Edited by Tim Walker
Camera by Nick Taylor
Line-up
Ian ‘Izak’ Buxton – bass guitar
Scott Frankling – drums
Phil Hey – guitar, vocals
Martin Wiseman – lead guitar, backing vocals
Psychlona, Warped Vision (2024)
Magnetic Eye Records on Facebook
Magnetic Eye Records on Instagram
Tags: Bradford, Magnetic Eye Records, Psychlona, Psychlona Warped Vision, UK, Warped Vision
Sweet vid/song. Absolutely killer album cover, too.