(2018) Two Medicine - Astropsychosis

Review: 
In the lull after touring Midlake’s Antiphon album, bassist Paul Alexander decided that he wanted to see if he was able to make an album on his own. Clearly he was up to the task, for Astropsychosis is the result of 15 months of writing and recording. Whilst it is a solo effort, he’s had a little help here and there from Midlake allies Jesse Chandler, Evan Jacobs & Eric Nichelson, and drummer Matt Pence. 
The vision is wholly Alexander’s and it has been conjured by his love of the National Park in Montana that lends this project its name and his need for experimentation. The result is an album that attempts to straddle prog construction, psychedelic notions, dream pop moods and ambient soundscapes. 
Alexander’s ambition has to to be saluted, the sheer scope of what he seeks to achieve with Astropyschosis must have been daunting, but for the most part, he absolutely succeeds in his mission. 
That said, those expecting psychedelic wigouts will be somewhat disappointed, there’s little, if any of that happening on Astropyschosis. This album revels in calm, despite its title suggesting that there might be occasional forays into slightly unhinged territory. It’s fair to say that Alexander has embraced the astral and a sense of openness with these songs, and the only way to take it in is to allow it to wash over you like a gentle ripple on the surface of a millpond. At its best, it’s like a comfort blanket being deployed with an accompaniment of sweet vocal harmonies. Taking the calmer side of his influences, Alexander has boiled down a mixture of Pet Sounds era Beach Boys, the more straight up moments of Animal Collective and added a sprinkle of Midlake for good measure. 
The album opens with SF, which neatly captures elements of both science fiction and San Francisco. There’s that ’60s hippy vibe (not to mention name checks of the city) but it’s the stargazing tones mostly tied up in Alexander’s synths and the vocal harmonies that give the song a cosmic feel. 
Oblivion takes things in a folk direction, and it suits Alexander’s minimal approach. 

Tracklist: 
01 - SF.flac 
02 - Oblivion.flac 
03 - Will Not.flac 
04 - Voice.flac 
05 - Gold.flac 
06 - An Eye for an I.flac 
07 - Astropsychosis.flac 
08 - Kuopio.flac 
09 - tmrw.flac 

Summary: 
Country: USA 
Genre: dream-pop, indie-pop