Veteran Swedish psych-rocker, Jens Unosson, gets deeply introspective on this earthy acid folk burner.

Available through High on the Pygtrack Records, Be As Good To Others As They Are Not To You is an intensely personal dirge full of grief and an undying need for peace of mind. You can feel the years of struggle, pain and disappointment shaking within Unosson’s tired vocals. Yet you can also hear rays of hope in some of these songs, showing that the psychedelic legend might have begun turning a corner with some traumatic moments, like the loss of his father.

Musically, the album utilizes acoustic sounds for the most part, yet other tracks feature a full band (the Head Country Hoedowners), which brings an earthy psychedelic vibe to Unosson’s already dreamy compositions. The best example of this might be the hazy “Green Was The Day (Bottom of the Well),” which echoes the lysergic vibes of Unosson’s own band, The Spacious Mind, plus The Bevis Frond and Dungen (the latter of whom probably owe Unosson some major credit for inspiration).

Finding solace in working with the land and nature appears to be a theme of the record, with many of its lyrics referring to an agrarian life with plenty of bucolic and folkloric imagery. This motif is even cemented further by the artwork on the cover and booklet, which features images of Unosson’s farm life with the sub-headline, “I’m gonna mulch these blues away.”

If you find yourself having a rough time this summer, maybe listen to this record while dedicating yourself to more work involving plants and the earth. May you all mulch all of your blues far, far away.

Get Be As Good To Others As They Are Not To You today.

-KH