The Active Psychos - Mellow Drama (2024)

Eclectic 60s-inspired debut is a fascinating trip full of genre-bending twists and turns. Bournemouth, UK-based six-piece The Active Psychos storm onto the wantlist with their first full-length album, which not only has a great title—Mellow Drama—and beautiful cover art, but is especially convincing in sound and song structures. It is a melting pot of 60s-inspired styles, which we should probably file under garage psych. The music here is richly textured with guitars and keys bringing their best game, complemented by a mean rhythm section and characterful vocals. The listening experience is like a ride on a vintage train through a burgeoning landscape.

Highlights include the rocking opener Up & Gone (heavenly grooves and an earworm chorus), the gospel-tinged ballad Lord Have Mercy (elegant and timeless) and the country-indebted ditty Makes Sense (a good example of how relatable the lyrics are: “Well I don’t understand what you said when you said what you said last night // So let me be as clear as day ’bout what you said or what said as might // There’s only one thing to say to you // Or least one thing’ll make it plain to you // That what you heard ain’t probably what I meant”). The vinyl version contains a cover of Tomorrow Never Knows (The Beatles), which is not available on streaming services.