Psychedelic guitarist Steve Palmer’s first full-length solo venture in five years picks up right where his classic Useful Histories LP left off, and it was certainly worth the wait.

Available on his Bandcamp page as of last week, the Minneapolis-based artist shows off his vast versatility and boundless range. Throughout the album, he allows each track to be a unique little realm, with enough distinctive sounds and ideas going on within their modest timeframes to make them feel like entire records compressed into bite-sized nuggets. From danceable drum machine-lead avant-boogies, like the ear-catching “Three Pole Jack,” to psych-infused post-punk jammers like “Comet Chromatic,” there are so many different sides of Palmer’s musicality on display here. This sheer variety helps keep the instrumental record exciting and dynamic, with some pieces, like the multifaceted guitar and piano suite, “Corrosion of Componentry,” becoming like mini-epics, taking the listener on multiple journeys at once. Yet, there is still a consistent heady vibe and a reverence for his axe’s fuzzed-up tone that carries throughout the LP and unites all of these disparate tracks together.

This is a true feast for the ears for anyone who ever wished for a more kosmische take on the music of bands like Television. Check it out for yourself here.

-KH