Inside the Neo-Psych world of Floating Heads, where sound swallows you whole.
Let’s take a walk among the trees.
It’s just a forest. But the toadstools are blue, and yellow snakes slither quietly through pink foliage. The air shimmers. Everything is pulsing, drifting towards you yet moving away at the same time. It’s like a strange dream, but one you don’t want to wake up from.
Welcome to the mysterious world of Floating Heads. The world of psychedelic rock.
Born in the 1960s, psychedelic rock aimed to recreate, and often enhance, the surreal sensation of being under the influence of LSD. The challenge was to turn ‘ordinary’ rock into an ‘extraordinary’ experience by infusing songs with an unusual, dream-like atmosphere.
Among the pioneers were The Doors, Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix, who built their acid-inspired styles through experimentation with sound distortion, abstract structures and exotic instruments. These techniques became the characteristic qualities of the genre, which has evolved, expanded and given rise to countless new acts over the last six decades.
One of those acts is Floating Heads. Inspired by bands like The Black Angels and The Jesus and Mary Chain, the Aberdeen four-piece led by James Callander started crafting their own style back in 2019. They have since refined their sound into neo-psych – a blend of psychedelic and, in this case, alternative rock – soaked in shoegaze, featuring elements of indie, and packed with unique, mind-bending lyrics.
Their recent EP ‘Glass Minds’ is an indulgence for psychedelia enthusiasts and a strong introduction to the genre for those less familiar with it.
From the very beginning, Floating Heads turn the volume all the way up. The opening song, ‘Glass Minds’, is ethereal, rising from the ground like an unstoppable tide, rippling around you and submerging you entirely. The sound is dreamy, almost heavenly: lead guitar soaring, vocals echoing, tambourine ringing brightly. The drums enter with force, but the track remains light and soft throughout, even as it transforms into a thick fog of effects that wouldn’t sound out of place on a My Bloody Valentine album.
The next song flips the atmosphere upside down. Released on Halloween, ‘Voodoo Smile’ kicks off with a sinister riff that sets the mood for the ominous track. As Callander moans through the distortion, the intricate wall of roaring sound looms above like a dark, heavy cloud. Eerie and unsettling, it’s a perfect soundtrack for a horror film about an evil witch haunting the forests of Maryland.
Closing the EP is ‘Drug Tent’, arriving with textures so vivid and intense, they almost seem to pixelate in the space around you, vibrating against your skin. Embellished by sharp synthetic effects that slice through the dense noise, the track is hypnotic, making it feel as if you are the one chasing the unreachable tent in the clip (watch on YouTube here). The unreal atmosphere is enhanced by the strangeness of the lyrics:
Killer whale eyes / In your sights / Out here we seek, no air to breathe.
Ambiguous and intriguing, they draw you in and refuse to let go.
‘Glass Minds’ EP is a powerful release that showcases Floating Heads’ skill at constructing complex yet perfectly balanced sound, proving that sometimes, ‘more is more’. In any other case, the abundance of sounds and effects could feel chaotic or overwhelming, but here careful attention to detail ensures that every note is purposeful, always adding value to the whole.
Floating Heads are here to push boundaries and create sound that swallows you whole. A force you cannot escape.
So put your shoes on. Let’s take a walk and get lost in the sound.
