Auditorium

Auditorium

L.A.’s Radar Bros. excel at psychedelically derived slowcore that injects a lazy, trippy sonic gauze over their stubborn, unhurried, stiff rhythms. Imagine the Flaming Lips on major sedation. Auditorium, the Bros.’ first album in three years, following 2005’s excellent The Fallen Leaf Pages, sticks to their playbook. The harmonies and sliding melody of “Happy Spirits” recall the ghost of Meddle/ Dark Side-era Pink Floyd, with singer Jim Putnam doing his best to not disrupt the hypnotic mood. Touring guitarist and keyboardist Jeff Palmer has been made an official member and slots into a prominent role, as his piano sits front and center for “Hearts of Crows” and “Hills of Stones” while keyboards accentuate with riffs and textures the winsome melodies that peek through “Warm Rising Sun” and “On Nautilus.” The languid pace makes for perfect sunny day dreaming. “Lake Life” sports a jauntier groove that suggests the group take their Pink Floyd influences back to the days of founder Syd Barrett and the lysergic 1960s. Yet, the group is no retro formation. They’re in the present day with one eye looking back.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada