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It was quite the pleasant surprise to stumble upon the psychedelic instrumental album from newcomer, Ducktails, titled, Ducktails, a cool name in my humble opinion. Only providing vocals for one song on the entire disc ["Mall"], Matthew Mondanile, the sole presenter of Ducktails and its music and a native New Jersey’n (clocking in at only 23 years of age), is able to create a short album of lo-fi psychedelic bliss. Taking the similar route that Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox found success with as Panda Bear, Mondanile is able to build up these nostalgic blips of fuzzy crackling repetition to form something so substantial and dream-like.

In “Beach Point Pleasant,”, the resemblance to something that would have fit as a b-side to Person Pitch is glowing. Numerous reviews cited much of Lennox’s album to sound as if it were under-water Beach Boys, and from the second “Beach Point Pleasant” begins on its repeat riff, the one that continues as if it is the soundtrack to a ferris wheel at the bottom of the sea, it becomes quite clear to see that the feelings evoked are not too different. Beach begins turning into a psychedelic jam, taking on chimes from every direction until it eventually but abruptly turns off as if zapped by a remote controller.

The opening track, “Backyard” is much like the entire album: not too long. The track only lasts for a minute and a half of distorted guitar pulls coexisting in a celebratory-esque chaos jam that shows striking similarities to Daniel Johnston’s style of unstable pop (mostly in the lo-fi drum beats that exists on several other tracks as well). It ends just as one is getting used to the new type of spaced out / electro warp rock, but the listener is in for another surprise as he is given the completely different “Beach Point Pleasant” to deal with afterwards. Enjoy the two songs, cover art at the top of post.

Ducktails – Backyard MP3
Ducktails – Beach Point Pleasant MP3 

B Keough

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