SULK – “Black Infinity (Upside Down)” (Stereogum Premiere)

Takeshi Suga

SULK – “Black Infinity (Upside Down)” (Stereogum Premiere)

Takeshi Suga

Since London quintet SULK released their debut Graceless in 2013, they’ve been compared to just about every great British act to come out between the late-’80s and mid-’90s. And, sure, the lineage is clear — Ride and the Stone Roses loom large, with hints of Britpop creeping into the instrumentation here and there. All those reference points are still present (and welcome) on their forthcoming, currently untitled sophomore album, but SULK’s wielding a bolder brand of psychedelia this time around. These songs are massively and unstoppably hooky, from the blissed-out vocal melodies and harmonies to the guitar work. SULK resurrect that mesmerizing spiraling guitar that dominated British rock for a moment there, and they put it to stunning use. “Black Infinity (Upside Down)” is the first taste of the new album, and it boasts a guitar lead that’s emblematic of the album as a whole. It’s an oscillating, bright sound — like some vivid image flickering in and out of view underwater, that you can only begin to glimpse before it recedes back into mystery. Its a standout on an album lined with like-minded tracks, the kind of psychedelic music that takes some DNA from shoegaze, then bursts it outward and upward towards something more euphoric.

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