REVIEW: Tropical Popsicle - Dawn of Delight

Tropical Popsicle's Dawn of Delight is one of the best "out of nowhere" records I've encountered in years. Released on the French label Talitres, this album features great psychedelic sounds from San Diego resident Tim Hines, veteran of the Stereotypes and Lights On. Hines has fleshed out the band with the addition of Kyle Whatley (guitar, organ, backing vox), Chase Elliott (bass and synths), and Ryan Hand (drums and rattles). In places reminiscent of old Pink Floyd, in other places reminiscent of The Jesus & Mary Chain, and with plenty of guitar jangle thrown in from place to place, it's hard to precisely categorize but easy to listen to.

The opening track is "Always Awake In Shadows" and it's drenched in reverb, tambourines and heavy keyboards:

If full-on guitar jangle is your thing, "Age of Attraction" is as good as it gets, and the transition from the insistent beat of the verses to the soaring vocals of the chorus is just absolutely wonderful:

Here's "Ghost Beacons"  - a tremendous accomplishment, as it combines the strands of post-punk, new wave, garage rock and hazy psychedelic sounds:

This record is a true delight - as light and airy in places as the sunniest bit of psychedelic pop ever made, and as heavy in places as, say, the Ramones or Jesus & Mary Chain.

Here's "The View From The Dihedral Wall" - combine the heavy psychedelic sounds with these lyrics, and see what happens:

The view is oh so clear 
From the Dihedral Wall 
We've lost communication 
and all depth perception 

4000 years 
Twin burning Suns 
The King of Ages 
The Bloodlines run… 

Take your ropes and Lanterns 
Into the idle Mansions 
where can we go from here? 
The mystery getting clear 

Out last week (April 15) and available via the Bandcamp links in the tracks above, or physical copies available at Talitres now.