US band SKY PICNIC is a trio based out of New York that have been around since 2009, with Brooklyn as their base of operations. They have three full length albums to their name so far, of which “Her Dawn Wardrobe”, released through UK label Mega Dodo, is the most recent.
As with many other bands on the Mega Dodo label, Sky Picnic is a band that operates inside the psychedelic rock universe first and foremost, and as many other bands exploring similar landscapes they prefer to look back in time while doing so. As is often the case for such band, the target appears to have been set to the period of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
Gentle, almost pastoral landscapes appears to be something of a specialty for this threesome, where careful bass and drums lays down the foundation for careful and often delicate acoustic guitar motifs to play upon, often with darker elements provided by a vintage sounding electric guitar to add depth top the vocal passages and to provide psychedelic dripping soloing runs and details to the instrumental ones. Variation and tension ebbs and flows with the intensity of the instruments, where both the bass guitar and the electric guitars will alternate between more careful and more powerful motifs, the drum patterns following these instruments in that particular context. Those fond of the Mellotron, or modern keyboards providing the same sound details maybe, will uncover many tasteful additions from that instrument adding further depth to the landscapes explored too, and for those who prefer material with a bit more stylistic variation we’re treated to the token piece where the band decides to add a wee bit of jazz and funk to the proceedings too. More often than not the songs have a tendency to stick to a more careful expression though, with sleepy, distanced floating vocals emphasizing the overall dreamladen and perhaps even naive sound that is a key aspect throughout.
The vocals are probably the key element on this album actually, the one detail that will make listeners decide whether they like this album or not. The lead vocalist in particular has a peculiar delivery, opting for tonal ranges that at least to my ears appears to be slightly offset and not quite harmonized with the lead or dominating instrument motifs, and by this is creating an unusual mood and atmosphere. A slightly otherworldly touch of you like, and while not quite in my taste I can understand how and why others will be charmed by this specific feature and approach.
If you tend to enjoy psychedelic music that hones in on the more dreamladen and careful, with liberal amounts of pastoral oriented sequences and a general sound and atmosphere that appears to orient itself towards the British Isles and the late 1960’s and early 70’s, Sky Picnic appears to be a band worth taking note of. They do have a peculiar vocal style that will not be treasured by all and sundry, but those who do like it will most likely regard that aspect of their style as a strength and treasure the band all the more for just that. But apart from that specific detail, a fine band exploring a gentler variety of dreamladen, vintage style psychedelic rock that merits a check by those with an interest in music of that kind.
My rating: 66/100
