WASHED OUT

PARACOSM (SUB POP)

16/20

With the heavenly ascent into It All Feels Right, complete with harp brushes, choir voices and birdsong, Ernest Greene, i.e Washed Out, makes a bold statement of where he stands on his comeback. The figurehead of chillwave may have had to endure the slow death of the genre’s prominence, but he certainly seems to be enjoying a cosseted afterlife on Paracosm, as there’s been an injection of analogue sounds, fevered percussive rhythms and bubbles of psychedelic splendour that breathe life into his dreamy aura. Don’t Give Up is an infectious example of this, with a throng of vibrantly arranged instruments crisply converging around a central vocal hook. The pumping All I Know stands out with its cannon-like synthesizer beams, and the title track features oozing slide guitars beneath a nauseating swirl of tampered harps. While the heavy glue that saturates the record could make for a somewhat exhausting listen if digested whole, sharply cut beats, the living, breathing guitars, and the chimes of closer All Over Now remind you that there’s some magic hidden under that downy blanket.

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Words: James T. Balmont