by Not far from the borderline resides psychedelic rock band RE/GEN. The trio from Vancouver, B.C., composed of Matt Whatley, Colton Little, and Dylan Hossack, released their self-titled album back in January, and it’s everything you can imagine. This album is kaleidoscopic, transcending you to dimensions filled with dreamy synths under a lace parasol of indie pop.
I’ve been listening to this album for a couple weeks, and I can’t find the perfect way to describe such a nice collection of tracks. There is definitely the typical psychedelic vibe that powers every song, but the approach is hidden and not so upfront. Although synthesizers are weaved within most of the songs, it’s not enough to change the genre completely.
RE/GEN begins with three tracks that shape how the rest of the album is going to follow. “Where Does The Time Go” is easygoing, setting the rock vibe, while the following pieces, “Low Tide” and “Fountain,” join to distinguish the band’s unique genre.
“Blood Moon” is a nice acoustic break in the middle to bring the album back down to a mellow, indie tone, before reaching the high of the last four songs. By adding a slower song to the middle, RE/GEN avoids a mistake that bands and artists make, putting together pieces that sound similar and never giving the listener time to relax. I really enjoyed the inclusion of “Blood Moon,” and thought it was clever on their part.
“Living in Static” is the perfect follow-up to the break as it starts out slow and controlled, and expands to that unique rock dynamic within the first 30 seconds. The intensity of the song stays at a constant level to the end, and works well as a transition song to bring us right back into their progressive sound. Once you listen to “Patterns,” you won’t be able to settle down. The hard guitar components control the song by ultimately determining if it’s going to speed up or slow down. To round out the album, “Walk By” is the last piece and this time, their synth rock/pop sound is fused with the acoustics, creating a mellow ending.
Not chained down by one set sound, RE/GEN has done a wonderful job by creating an individual genre that can’t be described in simple terms.
(RE/GEN is available for purchase via RE/GEN’s Bandcamp page for 4 Canadian dollars, or about 3 USD. Go to https://re-gen.bandcamp.com/ for more information. Stream the track “Patterns” below.)
