Surreal Prismatics - Conscious Dreams

 


Surreal Prismatics are a Newcastle Trio consisting of Richard Robson, Mark Fox and Dan Potter. The band are on the Beyond Records label, as are Toxic Melons, a band that I Don't Hear A Single and Anything Should Happen readers will be more familiar with.

Whereas Pablo Melons's outfit are well versed in Pop Rock, Surreal Prismatics are much more diverse. Whilst centring On Psych Pop, they venture into all areas from Surf to Space Rock, Shoegaze to Synth, Prog to Pop Rock. Conscious Dreams is never ever boring.

When you expect one thing from a song, it swiftly changes into something else. Rugs for instance starts all Surf before turning into Garage Psych with a healthy does of synth. Matchstick Mind is all Screamadelic, yet Overboard is somewhere between Prog and classic Space Rock.

Hand Glider is very much in The Orgone Box's sphere, but Broken Machine is like Hawkwind playing Glam Rock. Cool Heat could be a modern meandering Syd Barret with an hypnotic chorus line. The brief words in this review give you a bit of idea of what is in store.

The most instantly accessible stuff is the Psych Pop, of which there is plenty, particularly the outstanding opener, Welcome To My Dream. But the Pop fights to get out everywhere and some of the riffs are absolutely hypnotic.

Lyrically adept, this is an inspired album. It isn't an easy first listen for pop freaks, but it gradually grips you, enthrallingly so. I don't think I've heard an album as original all year. Psych fans will love it, but there is so much here for everybody. Conscious Dreams is a really outstanding affair.

You can listen to and buy the album at the links here. You can find out more about Beyond Records here.

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