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Psychedelic rock is a crowded field these days, and among all the reverb and vintage

keyboards, it can be difficult to find music that extends beyond pastiche. On their new LP, Sugar

Mountain, The Pleasure Routine use the old school tones and equipment to create their own

unique sound. The album’s nine tracks range from languid ballads to energetic rockers, and the

band pulls off both with confidence and originality. At the center of the music is the vocal

interplay of Kevin Sosfrud and Lauren Kopp, whose respective deliveries recall Calvin

Johnson’s drawl and Fiona Apple’s broken soulfulness. The band’s rich guitar and keyboard

textures provide the perfect background for their affecting tales of lost love and inner turmoil.

Not that the album is mournful or mopey. Rather, Sugar Mountain strikes a satisfying balance

between playfulness and sincerity, heartbreak and hope. The production is a bit rough around

the edges, and the vocals sometimes drift towards sloppiness, but as an album, Sugar Mountain

delivers a thoughtful and original take on psychedelic pop.

-Mark Cieslikowski

 

There will be a record release show at San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill on July 1st but if you miss out on that, you can purchase cassettes and download the album that day through The Pleasure Routine’s Bandcamp.