I would be beating a dead horse if I were to continue stating that 2024 has been an absolutely magnificent rallying year for all that psychedelic rock is capable of. Yet, I still find myself compelled to state that obvious fact given how immense the scope, scale, and diversity of what we've been spoiled to as we're now approach the halfway mark for the year. Truly, there has been a release for everyone to fawn over as the boundless reaches of psychedelia seem to have expanded exponentially with all that bands have brought to the table be they fresh or veteran. Comprised of musicians with long-standing bands in the scene, Moonseeds has been crafting its first creation largely on the back burner for six years with the arrival of such a sight all but fitting given the spectacular year we find ourselves in for the sound.
Having been born out of members that have been part of the illustrious Electric Moon, Moonseeds is a name that I can only hope we hear more of in the future even if it does take another six years or longer before they return us. If the three long-winded tracks of their eponymous debut album have anything to glean it's the simple reality that this is long-form psychedelic rock on a level that is nigh-on enchanting to lose yourself in. Downright meditative and supremely crafted from beginning to end, the over 40-minute runtime of what Moonseeds has put forth here cannot be considered other than what this particular kind of psychedelic rock has always been made for with only a few of the modern greats able to really show us how it's done from The Re-Stoned, Kanaan, and the aforementioned Electric Moon. At every turn here, Moonseeds more than earns the right to be hailed right alongside those names. What's been accomplished here is every stretch of the imagination for what the sound has long been capable of with tons of riffs, nuanced atmospheres folding into one another, and a dramatic sense of timing that ensures the dynamic flow of the record is never interrupted such that Moonseeds' energy is always at a high even when the tempo grinds nearly to a full halt and the psychedelics are well and truly cranked. Where many seek to explore the outer reaches of the human consciousness, Moonseeds goes where extremely few have before with all the flair, patience, joy, and tenacity that comes with being true psychonauts in a realm that is ever shifting.
Where we've seen plenty delve into the epic reaches of heaviness to show us what there is still to offer out of that glorious realm, Moonseeds sought to pull back and remind us what can happen when you just take your time and take in the scene even as the universe itself wheels overhead. A simply gorgeous creation that takes into account even the smallest of details to great effect, this is a debut that demands attention, adoration, and respect. In a year where it seems the bar is constantly being raised for the whole of the style, Moonseeds does a damn good job at keeping pace.
LISTEN to "Moonseeds" on Bandcamp here.
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