| Psychic Ills |
| Inner Journey Out (June 3rd, 2016) |
Psychic Ills — Inner Journey Out (June 3rd, 2016) 
♣ Hypnotic, art–damaged experimental rock band formed in New York City in 2003.
♣ When it comes to following the beat of their own drum, New York’s Psychic Ills have exemplified the phrase since their beginnings in 2003. Initially spawned from electronic–centered home recording experiments, they progressed into all–night full–band exploration in a neighborhood where noise wasn’t a problem.
Formed: 2003 in New York, NY
Location: New York, NY
Styles: Alternative/Psychedelia, Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
Album release: June 3rd, 2016
Record Label: Sacred Bones
Duration: 64:03
Tracks:
01 Back to You feat: Yoed Nir 3:59
02 Another Change 5:22
03 I Don’t Mind 4:41
04 Mixed Up Mind 3:41
05 All Alone 3:34
06 New Mantra 2:04
07 Coca–Cola Blues 7:12
08 Baby 4:15
09 Music in My Head 3:28
10 No Worry 3:35
11 Hazel Green 5:50
12 Confusion (I’m Alright) 3:16
13 Ra Wah Wah 9:12
14 Fade Me Out 3:55
℗ 2016 Sacred Bones Records
Personnel:
♦ Tom Gluibizzi (guitar/keyboards) and
♦ Tres Warren (vocals)
♦ Elizabeth Hart (bass) and
♦ Brian Tamborello (drums)
Credits:
♣ Charles Burst Bongos, Drums, Engineer, Timpani
♣ Casey Butler Saxophone
♣ Greg Calbi Mastering
♣ Brent Cordero Drums, Organ, Wurlitzer
♣ Harry Druzd Drums
♣ Jonah Freeman Artwork
♣ Elizabeth Hart Bass
♣ Derek James Bottle, Chimes, Congas, Shaker, Wood Block
♣ Kenny Jossick Photography
♣ Justin Lowe Artwork
♣ Matty McDermott Pedal Steel
♣ Drew McDowall Synthesizer
♣ Chris Millstein Bongos, Drums
♣ Thom Monahan Cabasa, Engineer, Mixing, Tambourine
♣ Timothy Nazzaro Photography
♣ Yoed Nir Primary Artist, String Arrangements
♣ Lady Peachena Vocals, Vocals (Background)
♣ Mitch Rackin Engineer, Mixing
♣ Tim Ramsey Pedal Steel
♣ Hope Sandoval Vocals
♣ Nadine Simmons Vocals, Vocals (Background)
♣ Liza Thorn Vocals
♣ Tres Warren Drones, Engineer, Guitar (Ac + El), Producer, Vocals
♣ Mike Wexler Guitar (Acoustic)
Review
BY COLLIN BRENNAN ON MAY 31, 2016, 4:05PM
♣ New York outfit sounds as blurry as ever on their follow–up to 2013’s One Track Mind
♣ Blurriness has always been a virtue to New York duo Psychic Ills, who have only recently begun to take an interest in things like structure and pattern. Before, the group was simply content to float along in the ethereal nowhere, a place that somewhat resembles a smoke–filled living room on a Sunday afternoon. Psychic Ills’ new album, Inner Journey Out, retains that smoky feel, but props it up with a greater sense of agency — you might even say urgency — than the band has ever known. Crisp acoustic guitars puncture the haze on tracks like “I Don’t Mind” and “All Alone”, while the album’s seven–minute centerpiece, “Coca–Cola Blues”, meanders less than its length would suggest, anchored by a chord progression that never risks getting lost in the fog of exploration.
♣ Don’t worry, though; the blurriness is still there in all its chilled–out, laid–back glory. “Making this one was kind of a blur, definitely a journey like the title suggests,” says lead singer Tres Warren. “I was holed up in a motel in the San Fernando Valley some of the time and I’d call Liz [Hart] back in New York at night and run things by her. I’d be being dishonest if I didn’t say that there were times when it seemed like we might not finish it.”
♣ Still, Warren has warm memories of writing and recording the album, a process that seems to have involved a fairly probing look inside himself. “It’s a long record with a pretty wide emotional and sonic spectrum,” he says. “If it connects with even a few people, that’s good enough for me.” ♣ http://consequenceofsound.net/
AllMusic Review by Mark Deming; Score: ***½
♣ Remember several decades ago, when the Beatles asked us to turn off our minds, relax and float downstream? Psychic Ills clearly do, and if their approach to their music is a far cry from what the Fab Four were up to, they’ve created one of the truly great “drifting on a cloud of lysergic thought” albums with their fifth long–player, 2016’s Inner Journey Out. Obviously built around the notion that less is more, Inner Journey Out is made up of slow, contemplative numbers that embellish circular guitar and keyboard patterns as the musicians reach out to their hypnotic potential. Approaching something like psychedelic minimalism, Inner Journey Out’s 14 tracks don’t offer much in the way of melodies or hooks, but give them half a chance and you’ll sink deep into this album like it’s a comfy easy chair. For the most part, Tres Warren’s lyrics don’t amount to much, and are clearly meant to not distract from the music. But he does show a playful wit when he wants to (especially on “Coca–Cola Blues”), and he uses guest vocalist Hope Sandoval (of Mazzy Star) to fine advantage on “I Don’t Mind.” The band knows how to switch gears from the peaceful meandering of “Hazel Green” to the mildly ominous “Confusion (I’m Alright)” without taking the listener out of the larger experience. And while it can be hard to generate a groove at such a deliberate pace, Psychic Ills make their unhurried rhythms signify, and the occasional appearance of guest musicians on horns, strings, or percussion helps keep these simple sounds absorbing and genuinely rewarding. Inner Journey Out isn’t made for all listeners or all purposes, but anyone interested in a journey down a peaceful river of sculpted sound is advised to investigate its properties.
Artist Biography by Kenyon Hopkin
♣ Hypnotic, elusive New York City experimental rock band Psychic Ills were formed in 2003 by Tom Gluibizzi (guitar/keyboards) and Tres Warren (vocals). The band issued two limited–run vinyl recordings (Mental Violence I in 2004 and Mental Violence II in 2005), both of which Social Registry reissued together as Early Violence, adding two extra songs. Following Mental Violence I, the duo was joined by Elizabeth Hart (bass) and Brian Tamborello (drums). Psychic Ills, who have opened for the equally psychedelic Warlocks, released their first proper full–length, Dins, in February 2006. The largely improvised Mirror Eye arrived in 2009. For 2011’s Hazed Dream, the band moved to Sacred Bones and opted for a more streamlined, accessible approach. 2013’s One Track Mind continued on into even more accessible territory, with production and guest vocals from Royal Trux’s Neil Michael Hagerty. Brent Cordero, who had played keyboards with Psychic Ills on tour, became part of their studio crew for the sessions that produced the group’s fifth album, 2016’s Inner Journey Out. The album also featured a guest appearance from Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star, who contributed vocals to the song “I Don’t Mind.”
Discography:
♣ 2006 Dins Social Registry
♣ 2009 Mirror Eye Social Registry
♣ 2011 Hazed Dream Sacred Bones
♣ 2013 One Track Mind Sacred Bones
♣ 2016 Inner Journey Out Sacred Bones
Bandcamp: https://psychicills.bandcamp.com/album/inner-journey-out
Website: https://psychicills.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/psychicills
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/psychic-ills
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psychicills
♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣
| Psychic Ills |
| Inner Journey Out (June 3rd, 2016) |
♣ When it comes to following the beat of their own drum, New York’s Psychic Ills have exemplified the phrase since their beginnings in 2003. Initially spawned from electronic–centered home recording experiments, they progressed into all–night full–band exploration in a neighborhood where noise wasn’t a problem.
Location: New York, NY
Styles: Alternative/Psychedelia, Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
Album release: June 3rd, 2016
Record Label: Sacred Bones
Duration: 64:03
Tracks:
01 Back to You feat: Yoed Nir 3:59
02 Another Change 5:22
03 I Don’t Mind 4:41
04 Mixed Up Mind 3:41
05 All Alone 3:34
06 New Mantra 2:04
07 Coca–Cola Blues 7:12
08 Baby 4:15
09 Music in My Head 3:28
10 No Worry 3:35
11 Hazel Green 5:50
12 Confusion (I’m Alright) 3:16
13 Ra Wah Wah 9:12
14 Fade Me Out 3:55
℗ 2016 Sacred Bones Records
♦ Tom Gluibizzi (guitar/keyboards) and
♦ Tres Warren (vocals)
♦ Elizabeth Hart (bass) and
♦ Brian Tamborello (drums)
Credits:
♣ Charles Burst Bongos, Drums, Engineer, Timpani
♣ Casey Butler Saxophone
♣ Greg Calbi Mastering
♣ Brent Cordero Drums, Organ, Wurlitzer
♣ Harry Druzd Drums
♣ Jonah Freeman Artwork
♣ Elizabeth Hart Bass
♣ Derek James Bottle, Chimes, Congas, Shaker, Wood Block
♣ Kenny Jossick Photography
♣ Justin Lowe Artwork
♣ Matty McDermott Pedal Steel
♣ Drew McDowall Synthesizer
♣ Chris Millstein Bongos, Drums
♣ Thom Monahan Cabasa, Engineer, Mixing, Tambourine
♣ Timothy Nazzaro Photography
♣ Yoed Nir Primary Artist, String Arrangements
♣ Lady Peachena Vocals, Vocals (Background)
♣ Mitch Rackin Engineer, Mixing
♣ Tim Ramsey Pedal Steel
♣ Hope Sandoval Vocals
♣ Nadine Simmons Vocals, Vocals (Background)
♣ Liza Thorn Vocals
♣ Tres Warren Drones, Engineer, Guitar (Ac + El), Producer, Vocals
♣ Mike Wexler Guitar (Acoustic)
BY COLLIN BRENNAN ON MAY 31, 2016, 4:05PM
♣ New York outfit sounds as blurry as ever on their follow–up to 2013’s One Track Mind
♣ Blurriness has always been a virtue to New York duo Psychic Ills, who have only recently begun to take an interest in things like structure and pattern. Before, the group was simply content to float along in the ethereal nowhere, a place that somewhat resembles a smoke–filled living room on a Sunday afternoon. Psychic Ills’ new album, Inner Journey Out, retains that smoky feel, but props it up with a greater sense of agency — you might even say urgency — than the band has ever known. Crisp acoustic guitars puncture the haze on tracks like “I Don’t Mind” and “All Alone”, while the album’s seven–minute centerpiece, “Coca–Cola Blues”, meanders less than its length would suggest, anchored by a chord progression that never risks getting lost in the fog of exploration.
♣ Don’t worry, though; the blurriness is still there in all its chilled–out, laid–back glory. “Making this one was kind of a blur, definitely a journey like the title suggests,” says lead singer Tres Warren. “I was holed up in a motel in the San Fernando Valley some of the time and I’d call Liz [Hart] back in New York at night and run things by her. I’d be being dishonest if I didn’t say that there were times when it seemed like we might not finish it.”
♣ Still, Warren has warm memories of writing and recording the album, a process that seems to have involved a fairly probing look inside himself. “It’s a long record with a pretty wide emotional and sonic spectrum,” he says. “If it connects with even a few people, that’s good enough for me.” ♣ http://consequenceofsound.net/
AllMusic Review by Mark Deming; Score: ***½
♣ Remember several decades ago, when the Beatles asked us to turn off our minds, relax and float downstream? Psychic Ills clearly do, and if their approach to their music is a far cry from what the Fab Four were up to, they’ve created one of the truly great “drifting on a cloud of lysergic thought” albums with their fifth long–player, 2016’s Inner Journey Out. Obviously built around the notion that less is more, Inner Journey Out is made up of slow, contemplative numbers that embellish circular guitar and keyboard patterns as the musicians reach out to their hypnotic potential. Approaching something like psychedelic minimalism, Inner Journey Out’s 14 tracks don’t offer much in the way of melodies or hooks, but give them half a chance and you’ll sink deep into this album like it’s a comfy easy chair. For the most part, Tres Warren’s lyrics don’t amount to much, and are clearly meant to not distract from the music. But he does show a playful wit when he wants to (especially on “Coca–Cola Blues”), and he uses guest vocalist Hope Sandoval (of Mazzy Star) to fine advantage on “I Don’t Mind.” The band knows how to switch gears from the peaceful meandering of “Hazel Green” to the mildly ominous “Confusion (I’m Alright)” without taking the listener out of the larger experience. And while it can be hard to generate a groove at such a deliberate pace, Psychic Ills make their unhurried rhythms signify, and the occasional appearance of guest musicians on horns, strings, or percussion helps keep these simple sounds absorbing and genuinely rewarding. Inner Journey Out isn’t made for all listeners or all purposes, but anyone interested in a journey down a peaceful river of sculpted sound is advised to investigate its properties.
♣ Hypnotic, elusive New York City experimental rock band Psychic Ills were formed in 2003 by Tom Gluibizzi (guitar/keyboards) and Tres Warren (vocals). The band issued two limited–run vinyl recordings (Mental Violence I in 2004 and Mental Violence II in 2005), both of which Social Registry reissued together as Early Violence, adding two extra songs. Following Mental Violence I, the duo was joined by Elizabeth Hart (bass) and Brian Tamborello (drums). Psychic Ills, who have opened for the equally psychedelic Warlocks, released their first proper full–length, Dins, in February 2006. The largely improvised Mirror Eye arrived in 2009. For 2011’s Hazed Dream, the band moved to Sacred Bones and opted for a more streamlined, accessible approach. 2013’s One Track Mind continued on into even more accessible territory, with production and guest vocals from Royal Trux’s Neil Michael Hagerty. Brent Cordero, who had played keyboards with Psychic Ills on tour, became part of their studio crew for the sessions that produced the group’s fifth album, 2016’s Inner Journey Out. The album also featured a guest appearance from Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star, who contributed vocals to the song “I Don’t Mind.”
Discography:
♣ 2006 Dins Social Registry
♣ 2009 Mirror Eye Social Registry
♣ 2011 Hazed Dream Sacred Bones
♣ 2013 One Track Mind Sacred Bones
♣ 2016 Inner Journey Out Sacred Bones
Bandcamp: https://psychicills.bandcamp.com/album/inner-journey-out
Website: https://psychicills.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/psychicills
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/psychic-ills
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psychicills