First Aid Kit by Big Blood

People often misrepresent psychedelic experiences with over-the-top maximalist art, but in reality Big Blood’s understated and elegant new avant-folk record First Aid Kit really strikes at the heart of psychedelia. The band’s rhythm section leads a parade that moves in constant circles, establishing the core thought loops that bring these songs to life. Vocals march by close behind, the wailing, repeated mantras made all the more unsettling by the band’s frequent use of slightly detuned harmonies. As an end result, Big Blood delivers an experience somewhere in the ballpark of listening to Fleetwood Mac in a fever dream and then racking your brain to reproduce what you heard the next morning. Just as in the case of a bizarre dream, First Aid Kit will haunt you throughout your entire day as your brain struggles to pull these catchy melodies apart from the bizarre soup that they’re slow-cooked in. This record sounds familiar yet alien, proving that even in our most established sounds there’s room for adventure.

-Michael