The new wave of psychedelia is an interesting movement.
First off, while stylistically similar to its roots, the genre has, for the most part, taken on a major change in content and inspiration. While lyrics of early psychedelic bands such as Pink Floyd and The Doors stemmed from otherworldly, drug-induced bouts of hyper-creativity, the newer wave of psychedelia has taken on a more emotionally significant and reflective tone. There has been no loss of creativity, but the focus has become, well, more focused.
A great example of what this neopsychedelia sounds like is Wishlist, the latest album from Lina Tullgren.
Lina Tullgren — Stream of Consciousness Neopsych
Born and raised in New England, Tullgren has been surrounded by musicians and other artists from a young age. She uses stream of consciousness writing for her songs, true to the psychedelic style. There’s an all-around sort of sad hopefulness to the album. The album is a self-reflective work, and the paradoxical combination of darkness and light results in a truly unique musical work.
The album opens up with “Watchdog,” and its mellow, sad-sounding guitar. The vocals are dreamy and bittersweet, and there’s a slow, charmingly disorganized chaos to it. The track almost sounds like something by Mazzy Star. “Older” starts off with a clean electric guitar and a whimsical, minimalistic style. The lyrics “I wish I didn’t have to grow up so fast” convey a sentiment that, deep down, we can all relate to. “Home” has a bittersweet retro guitar and a mellow choral background. It winds up with an incoherent, static buzz, true to the unconventional nature of psychedelia.
Tullgren is one of many musicians recently to take up psychedelia and adapt it with their own unique touch. Her deep, meaningful lyrics and minimalistic yet expressive instrumental style combine to create something truly intriguing.
Artists like Tullgren are the future of psychedelia, and their powerful creativity will keep generating albums like Wishlist, such albums in turn keeping the genre alive and well.
