(Credits: Far Out / Stephanie Pia)

THE SKINNY: Music doesn’t always have to be so cerebral and affected as the contemporary norm. There’s a reason why it is perhaps the most varied artistic landscape out there: music appeals to every aspect of life and every conceivable emotion. On Color Green’s new album Fool’s Parade, the quartet delivers another stellar bag of sincere and captivating psychedelia that pulls from more areas than the genre’s mention might suggest.

You might think psychedelic rock is a vastly overpopulated domain. It seems tough for newer bands to stake a claim on this once verdant patch, given how many leviathans have pitched up there and reaped the fat of the land. However, with Fool’s Parade, the California-based outfit not only makes good on their resident state’s inextricable link from the genre’s heady past but blends it with zesty new elements. This includes guest appearances from members of Osees and The Nude Party, to name but a few. 

Fans of psychedelic music will deem Fool’s Parade a modern classic once the penny drops. From distinctly rootsy aspects and hearty country-evoking slide guitars to chiming melodies and more explosive bursts, there’s a lot going on that pays respect to the lineage of the genre and does something refreshing with the blueprint. For instance, you could posit that the undeniable highlight of the record, ‘5:08’, is the first time the genre and emo have been mixed. Elsewhere, ‘God in A $’ has a clear punk angle in its frenetic, muscular eruptions. There’s also a touch of Madchester and Ween buried within.

Like the band’s live shows, it’s a record that has you on your toes throughout, with the sincere moments utterly piercing and the dynamic conflagrations immensely entertaining. Co-produced by Color Green alongside the eminent Mike Kriebel – who’s worked with genre forces such as Osees, Wand, Segall, as well as��Drab Majesty offshoot VR Sex – and mastered at the genre’s spiritual home of London’s Abbey Road Studios, all the pieces have fallen into place on Fool’s Parade. It’s a deeply profound, narcotic experience.

For fans of: The sweet leaf, a generally California dreamin’ mindset and a life spent on the road.

A concluding comment from an aged hippie: “Man, I thought Robbie Robertson was dead?”

Fool’s Parade track by track:

Release date: July 12th | Producer: Color Green/Mike Kriebel | Label: New West Records

‘Coronado’: An upbeat bit of rootsy psychedelia with a nice and hardy chorus; this one doesn’t take long to enrapture. From the swaggering guitars and vocal melody to the lyrics, it’s absolutely wonderful. If this was the early 1970s it would be a big, big hit. [4/5]

‘Four Leaf Clover’: A spacier number with all-encompassing vocal performances, ample energy, and another upbeat chorus. There’s a lot going on that means you’ll be immediately coming back for more. You should be all over the warm, vintage-sounding bass tone, too. [4/5]

‘Fool’s Parade’: Incredibly stoned and evoking the madcap essence of Ween with the baritone vocals, surreal lyrics and complex guitar work, it’s a sonic expedition that washes over the listener with its array of kaleidoscopic delights, including the mammoth finale. A masterclass in layering. [4/5]

‘When The Clouds Roll In’: A return to the rootsy side of the group, this time with some grooving piano notes. It might be a more traditional track, but it does not feel out of place. It clearly demonstrates Color Green’s aptitude as songwriters and their hold on potent melody. [4/5]

‘God In A $’: Opening with gritty chords and a direct vocal melody, throwing it right back to the 1970s, the energy is tangible in this song and from the onset, you’re hooked. Not only is it so catchy, but it boasts the middle eight that even The Allman Brothers Band would have been proud of with the harmonising guitars. [4.5/5]

‘5:08’: Undoubtedly the best track on the record. Commencing with expressive, sliding guitars, all the elements unite in what is also by far the most melancholy number on Fool’s Parade. The mournful six-strings are incredible, as are the vocal performances. In the second half, the backing vocals drive themselves into the soul in a way rarely heard in modern music. [5/5]

‘Kick The Bucket’: Another slow-building number, bringing to mind images of fictional trips in the desert, with the vultures circling overhead and dehydration kicking in; this is one for the stoners among us. It steadily builds to a glorious climax that will melt faces. [4/5]

‘Ball And Key’: It’s always a treat to hear the sweet chimes of the layered acoustic, an instrument and simple production technique right at home in psychedelic music. On this penultimate stop, it is employed in a tender, wistful way that brings to mind the genre greats while also reaffirming the humble acoustic’s place in the modern world, as it beautifully dovetails with the slide. [4/5]

‘Hazel Eyes’: Another wonderful surprise, the emotive instruments and slow beat make for an ideal end to Fool’s Parade. Sincere, melodic, and highly transcendental, it is welcome to be met by such sonics when Britain is so wrapped in grey skies and rain. It brings the sun of California to your bleak surroundings and offers a glimmer of hope. [4.5/5]