Laguna Beach-based act Acid Smoothies, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Paul Dunne, unleashes a fuzz-forward rock ferocity on new album Carts in the Rain, brimming with both garage-rock urgency and psychedelic bite. Beyond its electrifying sound, Dunne is also donating all Bandcamp sales to the ACLU in support of immigrant rights.
“Still Standing Still” kicks off the album in rousing form, venturing from no-frills guitar pulses into an excitable rhythmic backing and shout-y vocal charisma. “Stagnation takes awhile / Motivation revealed, from the lair I keep sealed,” he lets out amidst fuzzy guitar-led allure, culminating in a free-flowing solo at midpoint that’s magnetic in its twangy outpouring. Next track “Pixelated Cloud” achieves a different atmospheric world in its buzzing synth infusions, pairing seamlessly with thumping bass, panting percussion, and feedback-friendly guitar ardor.
An especially memorable display of energy comes in “Vision Board Concussion,” excelling in its intertwining of hypnotic guitar twangs and rumbling rhythm guitar undercurrents. The elongated guitar tones exude a psychedelic haze, contrasted sharply by the punchy vocal emotion. “Holographic Jesus” ensues with a similarly frenzied contagiousness, with scorching-hot guitar lines aligning with a fuzzy textural backing — and into a more subdued “digging holes into my jeans” intrigue, delectable in its dreamy tonal switch-up. Carts in the Rain is a riveting rock ‘n’ roll success from Acid Smoothies.
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
