On their strong full-length debut, 2017’s Last of the Acid Cowboys, Evolfo ran the gamut from scuzzy punk bangers to dapper distorted soul chillouts. Their follow-up Site Out of Mind takes a different approach, it is a thematic space rock record that was conceived by the band after a collective psychedelic experience.
From the first sweet guitar lines and locked-in groove of opener “Give Me Time” The Flaming Lips are called to mind with their mix of pop and slight oddball style. The Brooklyn-based band increases the prog-rock on “Blossom In the Void” while the dance fueled outer space bump of “Drying Out Your Eyes” certainly sets the mood. “Strange Lights” is the outlier here, a reminder of their fuzzy rat rock roots, yet it feels out of step during this interplanetary ride.
“Zuma Loop” uses warbling guitars and tripped out sounds excellently setting the buzzing scene, but also displays what is lacking throughout Site Out of Mind. Just when the song and the band seem to be breaking through the haze and ready to make a larger musical statement the track ends; Evolfo never goes that extra step/freak-out/jam to make a truly memorable moment.
The album centerpiece “In Time Parts 1, 2, & 3” is inspired by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard but doesn’t have enough nuance or uniqueness to sustain it over the two tracks while the buzzed out soul of “Let Go” is weighed down by some halfhearted hippie lyrics. Things improve when strings and drama are increased for “Broken Hills” and the bouncy, bright and wah-wah laced instrumental “Orion’s Belt” before closing on the acoustically grounded “White Foam”.
Although vastly different than their debut, Evolfo continues to try out new things expressively and bravely as they explore the sonic cosmos with Site Out of Mind.
