Things start out rather mysterious — much like an old late-night sci-fi movie — with “Another You,” one of the stand-out, haunting and upbeat tracks from Jacco Gardner’s fine new second album Hypnophobia. And, that’s what you can expect to hear through Hypnophobia (Polyvinyl Records) as you float down the music’s dream state-like atmosphere.
Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd, the Zombies, and the Left Banke have all been mentioned before as the best representatives of Jacco Gardner’s sound or influences but in my view, Jacco’s definitely channeling the spirit of Syd Barrett circa 1967 — and Hypnophobia is no exception to that opinion.
“Grey Lanes,” one of two Jacco Gardner instrumentals here, sounds like a ’60s soundtrack theme song. “All Over,” the other instrumental and laid back last tune, didn’t do much for me — as it sounded more like incidental music for a forgettable soundtrack rather than a memorable one. The same thought goes for the very short, fair, 1:37-long song, “Make Me See.” That said, “Find Yourself,” the album’s up-tempo first single, is easily the catchiest and most memorable of all the tunes presented on Hypnophobia. This is the song that should’ve ended the album, not “All Over.” It’s on par with anything from Gardner’s superb first album, Cabinet of Curiosities.
A new development in Jacco Gardner sound are longer instrumental passages. They bubble up in the mix more than ever before, as the 8:04-long “Before The Dawn” stretches to a length similar to, let’s say, Pink Floyd’s “Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun.” A blast from the psychedelic past, “Outside Forever” is a song about change that sounds like perhaps a lost Billy Nicholls song, circa 1968’s Would You Believe album.
The album’s ambient title song “Hypnophobia” brings a welcome 12-string guitar to the psychedelic party mix, and then dives head long into Gardner’s dream state of mind journey for all to partake in. It’s kind of like Gary Wright’s “Dream Weaver” for the ’60s psychedelic set and beyond.
I have to give credit to Jacco Gardner — who again plays everything but the drums, which definitely makes this a solo album — for being consistent in his both his music and sound. Most new bands or artists these days do not have this ability, or they want to change so much from album to album that they take away what made them special and so beloved in the first place. Everything is exceptionally played and performed Hypnophobia.
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