Denver’s Totem Pocket rips and soars on their new single, Stealing Time.

Aaron Dooley and Aesop Adams, two figureheads in Colorado’s kosmische underground scene (and the sonic wizards behind The International Disassociation of Aaron Dooley and Osmium House), bring their celestial expansiveness to quick-paced shoegaze with great effect.

The title track blasts right out of the gate with charging drums and slithering fuzzed-out guitars. While the song’s melody and searing solos have a sunny warmth to them, the dense layers of distortion and reverb-drenched vocals have a particular iciness, making this a perfect track for the late winter. The song is a stellar example of how to combine catchy radio-friendly hooks, upbeat tempos and a clean production with more eclectic and discordant sounds. This hard driving, glossy-eyed rocker pumps you up while still leaving you feeling slightly dazed and floating. Fans of the OG gaze bands as well as groups like Ringo Deathstarr or early No Age will surely appreciate this psychedelic-tinged alt-rock beast.

The B-side, “Light is Shining,” is a vibey instrumental that slowly unfolds and ripples outwards into a sea of distorted haze. With a slow thumping beat, echoing bell-like tambourines and howling overdriven guitars, it sounds as though you’ve wandered into some kind of amplified ritualistic procession. With its towering walls of thunderous feedback that grumble and groan like huge sonic glaciers cutting across the landscape, this track is for anyone (like me!) who wanted to hear Träd Gräs och Stenar reimagined through shamanistic shoegaze.

Start your Friday right with Totem Pocket.