Brand new album from The Society of Rockets

Rising from San Francisco’s underground music scene around 25 years ago, The Society of Rockets have spent their career following an entirely unique creative compass. Founded and led by singer-songwriter Joshua Babcock, the band began life under the name Shimmer Kids Underpop Association before developing into the group now known for its expansive, distinctly melodic style of psychedelic music. Over more than two decades, they’ve built a catalogue across nine studio albums, bringing together psych folk, chamber pop, garage and dream pop while maintaining an aesthetic that seems to land somewhere between futurism and archaeology.

Their history has played out largely on their own terms and despite recognition from NPR, The Guardian and Pitchfork for their contribution to the shifting language of modern psychedelia, The Society of Rockets have avoided touring, choosing to self-release an increasingly diverse body of work. Their debut album, Sunset Homes, arrived in 2004, mapping out a musical offering shaped by vintage pop vibes, reverb-drenched guitars, chiming melodies and arrangements that often carry a cinematic sense of melancholy. Across the years, the band have developed a sound that feels tethered to the past while always striding forward, bringing analogue textures and classic songwriting stylings into more adventurous spheres.

The list of artists associated with their music nods to the range of that creative world; The Beatles, Syd Barrett and The Kinks sit alongside XTC, Robyn Hitchcock, Guided by Voices, The Cleaners from Venus, The Lilys, Elephant 6, Galaxie 500, Pete Townshend and Robert Pollard. By not just reproducing the sounds of those influences, The Society of Rockets draw from an array of inventive pop and psychedelic experimentation, combining vintage equipment, analogue keyboards, horns, strings and ringing guitars with melodies that remain vital to their compositions.

Now, thir sonic output reaches a new point of expression on A Pocketful of Phables, the band’s ninth full-length studio album, released through Underpop Records USA. Dubbed their most psychedelic outing thus far, the record takes listeners on what Joshua calls a ‘wunderground soundseeing tour,’ moving from an orbit around the moon into forests, haunted houses and halls of mirrors before descending to the bottom of the sea. Its imaginative journey reflects a record built around shifting musical landscapes, where buzzing melodies, explosive rhythms and unexpected twists and turns make room for a sense of discovery.

Across seventeen tracks, the album moves between psychedelic pop, melodic power pop and songwriting with a recognisably off-kilter British influence. The album was recorded and mixed at San Francisco’s Hyde Street Studios, with the band working alongside longtime producer Chris Cline, whose credits include …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Scrabbel and STEREO IS A LIE while Jessica Thompson handled the mastering.

The current line-up brings together Joshua’s lead vocals and multi-instrumental contributions with Robin Wageman, Mike Evans, David Isbister, Lorelei David, Adam Dobrer, Justin Walsh and Scott Grieder. Their combined instrumentation gives the band an expansive sonic fabric, incorporating everything from harmonium, Hammond organ and lap steel to violin, theremin, accordion and trumpet. Set up by “Hollow Apollo,” the album drifts into view with the drone of stretched textures before the patter of percussion and flash of zappy instrumental elements kicks off a thrilling psych rock voyage.

“Cloudberry Jam” follows with the steady rustle of drums as strummed guitars and pulsing bass usher in spacey vocalisations, forming a breezy slice of vintage psych music cut with intricate lead guitar flourishes and layered vocals. Tracks like “Magic Hour” put the band’s incredible vision and musicianship panache on full display with a transportive ten-minute outing that presents a thoroughly engrossing musical experience brimming with hypnotic groove, bright guitar flickers and bubbling synth elements.

The album’s lead single, “She Lives in a Museum,” serve up a blistering power pop jam that opens with a twanging guitar hook before moving through playful piano turns and call-and-response vocal harmonies. Its story is based in San Francisco, revolving around a nostalgic, Norma Desmond-type character who avoids getting out of bed, with the theatrical sound captured by a musical arrangement that brings together engaging guitar energy with pop appeal. “Rainy Day” sees the band lean into a laid back indie pop scene where the lilting rhythmic sway of tapped drums and charming vocal lines glide above warm bass notes and jaunty piano plinks.

“Here Comes The Captain” pairs soft guitar rhythms, gentle vocals and storytelling lyricism while jangly tones add colour to the brief outing before “In The Palace Of Sinking Stones” forms with vocal samples and soft flute-like tones, developing shuffling drums and smooth vocal performance to cast a moody retro pop sound. Closing the record with “Every Eager Poppy,” Joshua’s hushed voice hover above gentle acoustic guitar backing, offering an intimate and heartfelt finale to the release.

With A Pocketful of Phables, The Society of Rockets continue to explore the world of psychedelic pop while building on the melodic pillars that have always been central to their work. After more than twenty years of independent activity, their latest record finds them expanding an imaginative musical universe that remains truly compelling and entirely their own.

Listen to A Pocketful of Phables below

More from Albums

---

Editor Picks

---