New Music – Psychic Appetizer

Sometime down where the 1960s and 70s psychedelic revolutions of sound never died, lives MR. ELEVATOR. This cosmic entity made up of Castle Face Records who also house other desert adventures like Oh Sees, Ty Segall, and The I.L.Y’s to name a few. But Goodbye, Blue Sky is a well-developed and spaced out appetizer into something that is truly a reverberated pleasure.

If the clouded cover art is any indication of the setting that is so bold and apparent, Goodbye, Blue Sky is synth-heavy and draws inspiration from the Californian coast. The leading and most prominent member of MR. ELEVATOR is actually Oh Sees member Tomas Dolas and is accompanied by Johnny Kosmo for bass and Jesse Conlee for the percussion. Together, this Doors-esque three-piece wonder can instill some reinvigoration for kaleidoscopic vision.

Running a fairly short gauntlet of 10 tracks over 35 minutes, each progression is a direct correlation to simplicity within design. While every track is memorable and has this certain charm behind it, the opening cut of “Waiting” is a worthy introduction. The fuzz-ridden bass lines are a blast of nostalgia even if the phasing of progressive drum patterns showcase a modern spin on an old love. While the vocals are present, they are often remixed through different effects to obtain this ethereal grasp and sound more apparitional than human. Goodbye, Blue Sky seems to act primarily as an instrumental record that pushes the play style to the forefront and as a vehicle that carries the vocals as a minimal presence.

Most of the beats from MR. ELEVATOR are glimmering examples of synth-pop done correctly and when the track “Bamboo Forest” enters the frame. It creates an overbearing resemblance to symphonic bliss with a bouncing key line and percussive push to form a spine to the track. When woodwind instruments are layered in, “Bamboo Forest” orchestrates one of the stronger jam pieces on the record.

That can also be said for “Sylvia” which is a faster run through the spirited woods, but for an entirely opposite reason, is a perfect balance to Goodbye, Blue Sky. Moments spent with MR. ELEVATOR are for the most part a learning experience through auditory tools. While it does not introduce anything that is uniquely new, they take a sound that is uncommon and run circles with it.

As the inevitable end comes closer and closer, there is a brush with beauty that becomes more clear as time goes on. For a 2020 psychedelic record, Goodbye, Blue Sky takes everything gorgeous and mixes it into a dreamy blender for something approachable and notable.

Listen To Goodbye, Blue Sky Here!!! – BandCamp/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes