Love it. I could tell by how different his first two albums where that he'd probably go in a different direction for this one. Psychic Chasms evokes in me the feeling of a long, hot summer of nothing but chilling and smoking weed. Era Extrana had an edge of excitement and energy to it that always made me feel like I was on the cusp of something new and awesome. This album is the sonic form of a late night walk through the city, with all the intrigue of a sketchy inner city in the dark. The title obviously reinforces this; I love the idea of a 'night school' experience, learning about the world just by walking around at night. The most obvious thing I've noticed evolving over the course of the albums is his vocals. In many of his older releases they played the role of another instrument, adding to the ambiance of the song. He seems to be getting more confident in his singing ability though, and isn't afraid to belt it out when its called for. Obviously I'm not equating the two in terms of talent, but now and again I get a bit of a Michael Jackson vibe from his vocals. I also continue to admire his ability to weave a coherent narrative out of an album of songs. Everything from the name, to the artwork, to the music itself evokes a very particular feeling. My favorites from the album:
Baby's Eyes- This is the first song (after Annie and Slumlord) that I heard from the album, and man, when that sick fucking bassline kicks in and he sings "Frannkkkiieee", I knew I was in for a treat. Tight bass lines, awesome vocals, just a fantastic song overall.
C'est La Vie- . A little bit of the upbeat peppiness you hear in songs like Terminally Chill, but catchier, tighter, and overall more enjoyable. It's impossible for me to resist tapping along to this one.
Smut!- Currently my favorite. The vocal melody just works in every part of the song. It starts off deeply within the aesthetic of the album, builds up momentum as he changes the vocal melody around a few times, then launches into a wonderful chorus, with a bold falsetto backed by the rising and falling keyboard melody. Love it.