Where the streams of psychedelia and dream pop meet lies a fertile land of woozy imagination. Various groups have tapped into the fantasmagoric potential of this mixture to varying degrees of immersion; there’s a wealth of sounds to be drawn from these two ingredients alone. Portland, Oregon-based Strange Pilgrim, led by multi-instrumentalist Josh Barnhart, evoke a twilight state of mind with their new single “Late Light”, using the inherent uplift of their adopted genres to achieve a beautifully floating feeling.
“Late Light” opens on acoustic guitars before adding the sounds of electric guitars and an organ to play into given tropes, but with enough laid-back energy to make those enjoyable once more. Their role models include a veritable who’s who of ’60s and ’70s rock music, including The Velvet Underground, Brian Eno, Fleetwood Mac, and The Grateful Dead. The vibes are immaculate, especially thanks to the soft vocal performance and floating instrumentation, and as such, this single is able to transport on into a bubble of reminiscence untouched by time.
Aside from the bands themselves, which alongside Barnhart includes Pat Spurgeon and Elliott Kay, Maggie Morris (of Sunbathe fame) and Cory Gray (Old Unconscious) make an appearance on “Late Light” on background vocals and keys/horns, respectively. I suggest you go off and take in the delicate atmosphere set by these talented individuals.
A few words from band leader Barnhart on his band’s latest offering:
‘“Late Light” opens with a surreal portrait of a slow, dragging night shift—those hours when time seems suspended and the end of the workday never quite comes into view. Set in the dim glow of a service job, the song captures the strange intimacy between worker and patron, with the narrator both curating the vibe and quietly observing the flow of people and energy. The repetitive chord progression mirrors the looping rhythm of late-night labor, subtly shifting just enough to reflect the small variations that give each night its own mood. Sonically, it’s a gentle descent—psychedelic and hazy, with swirling instrumentation that wraps around the vocal and harmonies. It eases the listener in, inviting them to settle into a space where the lines between the mundane and the dreamlike begin to blur.‘
After their self-titled 2022 début record and this year’s Embers EP, Strange Pilgrim look set to keep delivering solid morsels of psych-rock and dream pop well into the future. “Late Light” is a delectable treat for fans of this particular sound, but might prove to draw in hitherto unimpressed bystanders as well. You can pre-save the track, which officially releases tomorrow via Royal Oakie Records, by following this link.
Be sure to follow Strange Pilgrim on Facebook, Instagram, and/or TikTok to stay up to date with their goings-on. Their back catalogue is available on Bandcamp.
Header image courtesy of Katie Oscar
