Secret Colours

Chicago’s Secret Colours wrap themselves in day-glo tones on their self-titled debut album, drawing on psychedelic sources ranging from ‘60s icons like The Seeds and The Strawberry Alarm Clock to ‘80s revivalists like Rain Parade and The Charlatans UK. The band treat their role models with respect while injecting enough personality into their music to transcend retro-act status. Core members Tommy Evans and Justin Frederick are adept at layering harsh and gentle textures on top of a firm rhythmic base. Rather than taking meandering improvisational flights, Secret Colours imbed their trippy lyrics into coherent song structures. They also know the value of a killer distorted guitar riff, as evidenced by tracks like “Redemption” and “Let It Go.” Within these acid-etched perimeters, the band deliver hard-stomping rockers (“Chemical Swirl”), churning pop shuffles (“S.O.S”), and moody folk-rooted pieces (“Love”). “Some Might Say” and “Sea” take a quieter tack as they recall the sparse, woozy tones of Mazzy Star. Evans’ echo-bathed vocals have an enraptured quality as he celebrates heightened mental states and journeys into the void.