Old Man Canyon

A Grand Facade

When Old Man Canyon sat down with the Straight for 2016’s deliciously trippy Delirium, he was more than happy to discuss the wonders of drugs and how they affect the creative process. In addition to labelling himself a dedicated cannabis connoisseur, the artist known to his mom as Jett Pace also copped to being more than a casual fan of psychedelics.

Such information inevitably colours the way one’s work is viewed, so keep in mind that Old Man Canyon might have sworn off everything but caffeine and refined sugar before starting work on A Grand Facade. But goddamn if the album doesn’t sound like the work of someone who sprinkles acid tabs on his cornflakes while spinning everything ever recorded by the Three O’Clock, Tame Impala, and the Brian Jonestown Massacre.

A Grand Facade kicks off with “Good While It Lasted”, where fifth-dimension vocals, flanged guitars, and watery waves of synths give you an idea what your dad’s C-90 cassettes sounded like being eaten by a Teac A-510 tape deck. From the pillowy “Let You Down” to the space-drift oddity “Run Away”, it’s unrelentingly lovely stuff, as great for watching the clouds roll by on the beaches of Ibiza as it is settling in for happy hour at the Korova Milk Bar, a Moloko Plus only guaranteed to heighten the experience.