Review + Stream: Washed Out - Paracosm
Lavish, beautiful, and highly detailed are three adjectives that describe the songs on Georgian chillwave artist Ernest Greene’s second album, Paracosm.
A sunny “Entrance” warms the listener up with bells and birds chirping. Soon, Washed Out’s sophomore set transitions nicely into the first single, “It All Feels Right”. The harp glissandos here are spectacular.
“Leaving heading eastbound, weekend’s almost here now / It’s getting warmer outside / It all feels right,” lead singer Greene sings across a multitude of gorgeous instruments. By the end of the song, you can hear voices coming from a swimming pool or elementary school playground.
This record is a clear departure from Washed Out’s first EP, Life of Leisure. While tracks like “Feel It All Around” felt blurry and even groggy, all 9 songs on Paracosm are more optimistic, still remaining nostalgic.
Paracosm even sounds slightly less familiar yet more brilliant than Within and Without, Washed Out’s first album with a twilight mood.
It is quite difficult to fit this album into a single genre of music. Containing psychedelic and disco influences, Paracosm is literally a fantasy world.
Produced by Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Gnarls Barkley), each song on the record sounds so different and unique in its own way.
Lyrics on these songs resemble The xx-like simplicity, leaving room to imagine or fantasize in a soundscape of paradise.
“Weightless”, “Great Escape”, and “All Over Now” are absolutely wonderful for writing or completing homework assignments to, with just a touch of texture and magnificence.
Stream this fantastic collection of songs for a limited time for free on iTunes, or pre-order the album to add it to your collection when it is released on August 13. Then, sit back and perceive that life really does all feel right.
“Don’t Give Up”:
Grade: B