The Fresh & Onlys: August in My Mind
Captured Tracks
No matter the quality of the music, there’s something unavoidably kitschy about a psych-revival band hailing from San Francisco, like a tie-dyed tourist cluelessly strolling down Haight Street. Luckily, the Fresh & Onlys wear it well. The EP August in My Mind finds them exploring the pop side of psych with fuzzed-out and abrasive summer bummer jams that mostly hit the right notes. The Onlys were formed by two employees of the mega-indie Amoeba Music, and the six tracks on the 18-minute EP display a distinct knowledge of the history of psychedelic pop. Despite the obvious ’60s touchstones (13th Floor Elevators), there’s an undeniable freshness to the band’s propulsive take on the stuff. Singer Tim Cohen’s stoned yowls and drummer Kyle Gibson’s pocket-tight rhythms call to mind other throwbackers such as Kurt Vile; but where Vile is East Coast cold, the Fresh & Onlys are all California cool – totally tie-dyed but nonchalant enough to pull it off. 4 out of 5 stars.