Altered Zones

On his debut EP, Empire Sound, Doldrums presents us a kind of world-weary psychedelia. If their last single, "I'm Homesick Sittin' Up Here In My Satellite," didn't hint enough at the former Spiral Beach frontman's global vision, this release reveals the extent of his empire. Highlight "Parrot Talk" bounces over a brassy, equatorial dub, whereas "Endless Winter" notches back the intensity for some reversed guitar and melancholy breakbeats. In the noise-laden "Tantrum," the ghost of Edgar Varèse haunts a ghetto blaster, and album closer "Lost In My Head" pairs filtered vocals with classic Casio synth. But despite the album's fast-forwarded samples, feedback squelches, and pitch-shifted chicken sounds, Eric Asher's elastic voice bears Empire's twists and turns with pop grace. --Dale W. Eisinger, Altered Zones

Doldrums: Empire Sounds

Get Doldrums' Empire Sounds from No Pain in Pop

On “I’m Homesick Sittin’ Up Here In My Satellite,” Doldrums creator Airick Woodhead laces acute whips of racing violin into gridiron-ready samples of percussion and brass, creating an unlikely combination of three very different worlds: the marching band, the symphony, and the disco-tech.  With this prodigious barrage of psychedelic pop, Doldrums affirms that its place on Portishead’s forthcoming Chase The Tear 12” is warranted. --Mark Craig, Altered Zones

MP3: Doldrums: "I'm Homesick Sittin' Up Here In My Satellite"

Doldrums’ Empire Sound EP is available October 31 on No Pain In Pop