It’s hard to find an album that is as filled with the feeling of summer as Garcia Peoples’ Cosmic Cash.
Hailing from Rutherford, New Jersey, Garcia Peoples perfectly capture here the spirit of sunny road trips with friends, late night bonfires and raucous beach parties with their unique sound.
Cosmic Cash finds the band blending together elements of psychedelia and ‘70s underground rock with hints of power pop and jazz-rock. All across the album, the band shifts from laid back, sweetly stoned grooves to intricate and high-octane jamming with unbelievable ease. You never know where each song is gonna go.
For example, the almost 14 minute suite (“Suite: Cashing Out/Sigh of Relief/The Midnight Dancer/All The Time/Distant Lands”) starts out with a blast of pounding, machine gun-paced drums and psychedelic shredding before eventually fading into a stripped down, bass-led arrangement with a thumping funk beat and bouncy vocals. From there, the track breaks into several tight, acid rock jams and harmonious verses before the piece drifts into a dreamy keyboard-heavy climax. The suite is practically an entire album’s worth of ideas under a quarter of the usual time.
Every track here features something that snags your ear and doesn’t let go. From the double barrel, Duane and Dickey like guitar battles of “Hanging On,” to the chill, rural psychedelia of “I Ain’t Hurt” and the catchy-as-hell hooks of “World’s Illusion,” there isn’t a dull moment to be found anywhere on this album.
An immensely fun and optimistic listen, Cosmic Cashis going to be an album that is likely never to leave your car stereo this and all future summers.
Preorder it now on colored/black vinyl, CD and digital via their Bandcamp and Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records.
-KH
Record Crates United 