Earth to Josh - “Lost in Time”
From Lismore in Northern New South Wales, Australia, Earth to Josh has just released the superb modern psych track, “Lost in Time.”
The song is built around a hypnotic drum groove that relentlessly pulses over the verses. This foundation also provides a pleasing predictability to the composition amongst the swirl of dreamy, trippy layers. Acoustic guitar enhances this sense of drive with a rich, percussive sound. A comparable vibe to these layers would be if you blended the Doves tracks, “Black and White Towns” and the “Pounding.” The bass churns firmly throughout, but it is hard to decipher the layers that rest on top due to the cacophony of hazy reverb and delay, creating a mesmerising, ethereal ambiance. But it is this thick air that truly makes this track immersive.
Over the chorus sections, Earth to Josh really drives home the modern psych vibes. It has the same indie rock sensibilities of Tame Impala’s InnerSpeaker, before Kevin Parker started dribbling over synths. Gritty, moody guitar is allowed to bite into the arrangement, giving a strong and aggressive contrast to the bright, eddying layers.
The vocal of Earth to Josh is magnificently washed out, with effects ranging from what sounds like uncompromising servings of plate reverb, stereo delay, and phasers. Although the mixing may have been inspired by Tame Impala, the delivery stands closer to Paul Draper from the 1990s group Mansun.
Musically and lyrically, the track attempts to explore and express “the unstable mind of someone battling with dissociation, trying to grip onto themselves as time keeps slipping away.” “Lost in Time” will please any modern psych lover. The track is taken from Earth to Josh’s debut album, which is set to be unveiled later this year.