From the crunching buzz of opener “Anxiety Eater” you can safely assume that Psychic Heat’s debut album Sunshower is oozing with the psychedelic garage rock they have perfected. Their High Dive Records debut is masterfully done; it’s a beautifully polished and mixed piece of production, but manages to keep the rough energy and grittiness of the band’s sound. They can pick it up and slow it down; the transition from the heavy beat of “Anxiety Eater” to the manic guitars on “Black Radio” (and its even HEAVIER ending) is seamless. The band is ready to fill arenas with psych anthem “Elixir.” The reverb on the vocals carry across the landscape and they manage to sneak in a sweet little musical interlude before turning up the energy again.

The wild “Des Tortion” is a symphony of abrasion; the furious drumming and frantic guitars with the noisy vocals add up to some beautiful chaos. The falsetto on single “In Two” is a  mind-blowing surprise; the catchiness of this track will make it a Spring (and likely all Summer) hit. We get the hypnotic “Whale Falling” (its title repeated into infinity) and the thumping, goofy “How Many Licks” before the brief interlude “Sunshowers.”  Sunshower closes with the freak-out “Moment Moves On;” a full four minutes passing before the vocals kick in. Psychic Heat have crafted a raucous record that you can blare with your windows down in the car or close all the blinds and lay on the floor to listen to it. Just be sure to play it as loud as possible. Every subtle nuance is worth hearing and every detail perfected for a terrific record.

Favorite Tracks: “Anxiety Eater,” “Des Tortion,” “In Two,” & “Moment Moves On”

by Nathan Cardiff