Words by Jonathan Stout
When not doing freelance writing – including the Head Space column, Jonathan Stout is heavily involved in the NKY and Cincinnati music scenes as the Marketing Manager for Kentucky based venue The Southgate House Revival and founder of DIY Recording label Lo Fi City Recordings. He’s also an active musician, performing and recording with Sleepy Drums, Mutt Fuzz, Burnt Cabins and gewgaw. Here are his top ten albums in no order.
WITCH – SOGOLO (Desert Daze Sound)
WITCH returned in June with SOGOLO and the legends of psych rock never fail to sound energetic and inspiring. Pioneering the fuzzed out “Zamrock” sound since the 1970’s, it’s quite impressive how fresh they still sound. The album starts with the super strong hard rockers “Kamusale” and “Nadi” but it’s the irresistible shimmering pop numbers like “Queenless King” and “Bang Bang” that groove hard enough to make a dead man dance. SOGOLO really offers something for everyone, covering the psychedelic spectrum with ominous fuzz (“(In Memory Of) John”), rhythm heavy dancers (“Dancer on a Trip”), spacey dub (“Totally Devoted”), atmospheric and soulful balladry (“Tiponde Madzi”) and more. To put it simply, they keep things interesting enough to make the 39 minute run time seem much shorter.
West Virginia Snake Handler Revival – They Shall Take Up Serpents (Sublime Frequencies)
One of the wildest records I’ve heard this year – a landmark record, documenting the last snake handling church in Appalachia. Featuring hillbilly rock guitars, trance-like rhythms and howling vocals, this album was recorded entirely live and without overdubs by Grammy-award winning producer and author, Ian Brennan (Tinariwen, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Zomba Prison Project). The 13 compositions fly by like a fever dream, and the format (or lack thereof) bouncing between hill country blues jams, shattered outsider folk, country hymns, and the howling gospel of Pastor Chris can be quite dizzying. I can’t stress how completely unhinged Pastor Chris sounds throughout this record. You can just feel his sweat and hear the blood of his snakebites dripping off in buckets as he seemingly exhumes his demons over the microphone. His delivery, juxtaposed over the fried blues jams, somewhat evokes early Captain Beefheart – if Mike Bloomfield or Bruce Langhorne had been backing him on lead guitar.
With all due respect to the Pastor, even though he’s preaching a religious sermon, it quickly erodes into incoherent rambling basically. It can be intense to say the least – and won’t be for everyone – but it’s a really raw window into the fringes of Appalachian life where the weirdos start to overlap with the religious fanatics. The sound is wild enough, but to imagine that in reality there’s also a snake involved in the hand of this lunatic when he’s delivering these monologues amps up the meter that much higher. It sounds like someone put acid in the sacrament. Maybe I’ll give church another try?
John Krautner – Cinnamon Lake (self-released)
With a big ten year gap since his last release, Detroit garage rock legend John Krautner (The Go, Conspiracy of Owls) returned in 2025 with Cinnamon Lake, a collection of 15 trippy psych pop tracks crafted in the vintage style. Whereas Krautner focused heavily on power pop for his previous release, Fun With Gum Vol. 1 (is there ever going to be a Vol. 2?), Cinnamon Lake hones in on the acid damaged psych folk of the late 60s/early 70s and channels such fractured legends of the time as Skip Spence, Lee Hazlewood, and Harry Nilsson. There’s a real intimacy here that feels personal, almost private even, while at the same time projecting an overall sense of positivity, even though Krautner’s weathered vocals suggest that he’s been through the wringer and is back to tell the tale. Perhaps that is where the positivity comes from – reflecting upon a life of rock n roll that he’s gladly able to continue to create within. No matter what, this is the kind of recording that sticks its hooks in deeper upon every listen – from the sense of melody to the natural and organic sounds of the recording. Nothing feels forced or emulated. This is a true artist, redefining their mission for a new stage in life.
The Warlocks – The Manic Excessive Sounds of… (Cleopatra Records)
L.A.’s preeminent indie psych rock institution, The Warlocks, returned this year with The Manic Excessive Sounds of…, a collection of songs that ring true to what the band does best. In this way, Manic Excessive Sounds is as fine a place to start with the band as any, as it captures their essence so acutely. Over the past couple years, the band experienced some lineup shifts and inner-turmoil. This, coupled with the dismal global hellscape, has informed the more melancholy moments of the album, such as “It’s A Fucked Up World” and “We Are All Lost.” But even in these moments, they always manage to attain a comforting, meditative drone, which helps steer the ship away from the land of depressive drivel. Though not exactly “manic” per se, the album does split a fine difference between emotionally engrossing, traditionally arranged songs and improv-heavy, loosely structured jams in a way that surely won’t disappoint their hard earned fanbase.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – CURSE (Jagjaguar)
Following March’s IC-02 Bogotá, Unknown Mortal Orchestra hit back in June with the six song, 12 minute CURSE. Blink and you’ll miss this one but the track selection and sequencing truly come together to make what feels like a complete work. Though some songs – and even the artwork – hone in on the band’s more Sabbath-y tendencies (“BOYS WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOLVES”, “ONE HUNDRED BATS”) they make sure to incorporate their own patented brand of chill psych with automatic classics “DEATH COMES FROM THE SKY” and “SORCERERS OF SILENCE.” Bookend these songs with some ominous dungeon synth and you have CURSE. Sounds fun? It sure is.
Ty Segall – Possession (Drag City)
Crown prince of modern psych, Ty Segall’s newest offering, Possession arrived at the end of May. For artists as prolific as Segall, it can be hard to keep up such a regular release schedule while also remaining fresh and interesting. But with his recent albums Three Bells and Possession he’s solidified a comfortable foundation that brings together the fundamentals of his earlier work with – dare I say, a maturer sound? And by mature, I mean he’s settled well into his craft – everything feels very natural and unforced. For Possession, Segall leans into the sounds of ’70s Laurel Canyon and biker rock, nuanced with class into his patented brand of psych rock. What results are some fantastically written and arranged songs that are still filled with fuzzy, crackling guitar solos and hooks that will have you coming back for many replays. Segall doesn’t necessarily try anything new with Possession, but instead delivers a grouping of songs that collect and showcase his many pre-established strengths with confidence and clarity.
Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film (Warp Records)
May brought the much anticipated return of Stereolab with Instant Holograms On Metal Film. This collection of 13 compositions won’t disappoint any longtime fans, as these arrangements are as richly expressed as ever with new sounds and nuances exposing themselves on every listen. Their established sound, which can be most simply described as 60’s lounge psych meets Kraftwerk, is still very much the focal point, and it’s a sound they’ve perfected to a soothing beauty. The songs with lyrics often juxtapose serious themes of existential dread with driving, catchy melodies. Such is the case with the fantastic “Aerial Troubles”, where Lætitia Sadier sings “Greed is an unfillable hole (Insatiable) / Avid the fear of death” over an upbeat, infectiously melodic lead guitar and danceable beat. And so goes the entire record, culminating as a true celebration of both the light and dark sides of the human experience.
Kadavar – I Just Want To Be A Sound (Clouds Hill)
Just a heads up to anyone who hasn’t checked in with this band in awhile – they’ve developed into quite a different beast! Beginning their career with vintage styled stoner rock/proto-metal, they’ve since spread out to incorporate all aspects of the modern psych rock umbrella. But on I Just Want To Be A Sound they craft 10 adventurous tracks that use their earlier material as a jumping off point, from which they blast far away from in short order, embracing more modern sounds than ever. The opening title track is huge stadium ready psych-pop, centered around an infectious guitar hook, more akin to MGMT or mid-career Flaming Lips than Black Sabbath. It automatically sets the stage for the listener to expect the unexpected, which is ultimately the best advice when recommending this release (which I can’t do emphatically enough!). The varied songwriting styles and attention to detail aren’t the only things that make these songs pop- the production of this record is also huge! Is this Kadavar’s attempt at big league pop crossover stardom? I’m not sure, but as long as they remember they’re a rock band (unlike *cough* Kevin Parker *cough*) I think they’ll be alright. I Just Want To Be A Sound is a truly exciting collection of songs that solidifies this band as real contenders among the world’s heaviest heavyweights of psych rock.
Dead Meadow – Voyager To Voyager (Heavy Psych Sounds)
This legendary band, who have remained reliably consistent and prolific throughout their career, delivered Voyager to Voyager just three years after 2022’s Force Form Free. It’s remarkable that they’re able to deliver such a solid collection so soon, especially considering the tragic loss of bassist Steve Kille in 2024. Fortunately, the majority of his parts were recorded before his passing – so the change can’t be heard within the recordings. What can be heard is the band leaning more on their grooving psych rock (“The Space Between”), blues (“The Unhounded Now”) and folk inclinations (“Not The Season”) rather than their heavier material, but I’m not complaining! There’s a real feeling of loose and natural chemistry in these performances, presented in a very warm analog blanket, which only adds to the classic rock vibe of many of these tracks. Not only does Voyager to Voyager succeed in delivering eight new ambitious, thrilling tracks, it also serves as a testament to Dead Meadow’s growth, staying power and chemistry. With all of this considered, Kille’s passing becomes all the more tragic. I certainly hope they continue to make new music, as this newest set is very promising.
In The Pines – Sunbeam Dream (self-released)
Cincinnati based space cadets In The Pines returned in September with their fourth album, Sunbeam Dream and all evidence shows they are getting better and better with every release. It’s been two years since their last (Painting By Numbers) and it’s clear that they took their time with this one – perfecting sounds, textures and songwriting. If one thing can be said about, it’s this – it sounds freaking huge. Although largely self-recorded/mixed, Sunbeam Dream is not a lo-fi, bedroom pop release. It’s songs pulse (“Flyin’ Nowhere”), groove (“Delirium”) and soar (“Hide the Sky”) like this band never has before. These songs more than solidify their place in the modern psych rock landscape but also instill a real sense of professionalism and attention to craft that pushes them above. In a perfect world, all Head Space readers would already know about this band and this review would be unwarranted. But alas, I’ve found that there is a woeful lack of noise being made, so if you’re reading this – go have a listen to Sunbeam Dream now and then spread the word to everyone you know!