Sound Mirror

Sound Mirror is the second release by the British psych-rock quartet Syd Arthur. Drawing inspiration from prog, jazz, funk, and British folk, the band embrace their contradictions. Their concept screams retro, yet their sound has a modern edge. These recordings are dense and intellectual on the one hand, spacious and organic on the other, often falling into brief, mesmerizing grooves. Drawing on a deep well of technical ability and songwriting chops, the band use unusual time signatures and spacy textures while mixing in pop hooks, as on “Hometown Blues” and “Autograph.” Despite their obvious debts to classic prog and psychedelic bands, Syd Arthur steer clear of long solos or instrumental noodling, and this focus separates them from many of their longwinded psych-rock contemporaries. The songs are concise—a little more than three minutes on average—yet each of the 10 tracks contain intriguing twists and turns while leaving room to breathe. Even the frenetic instrumental “Singularity” follows its own logical and emotional path. It’s an adventurous and intriguing release that defies easy categorization.