The Young Sinclairs EP on Planting Seeds Records

The Young Sinclairs are filling a space the Fresh and Onlys left behind, not that those guys went anywhere, although I haven't heard of any new singles of full lengths lately. In the ongoing search for new psych that has included The Resonars and The Paperhead, The Young Sinclairs have come up a few times now after hearing their first single in 2011 on Planting Seeds who believe in them so much they put out this latest a few months ago.

"You Know Where to Find me" has their slick warm acoustic guitars with twinkle and swishy jangle that sets up the foundation for the reverb twang of a big electric melody. It's the reverb tight vocal
that reminds me of the Fresh and Onlys sound, these guys don't go as experimental in their instrumentation to push those boundaries of various echoes, but instead focus on the intricacies of the pop rhythm and melody. That echo is even more like the Art Museums but these guys soar around with a real depth in production updating that '60s smooth garage sound present in every one of their singles so far.
"Too Young" opens with a weird rhythm; a smack on the wood block with rim shots on conga drums while that acoustic is back, working smooth magic in the back of this harmony centered track which feels like the focus. They seem to be able to write tracks just around the vocal. Give them a few chords to work with and they've got a classic pop song from that glint in their eye. Bringing up those nostalgic sentiments, setting up that melancholy moment that brings up the past and looks forward at the same time. The two in this track are are too young to be in love. I hear that the Art Museums picked up rock instruments and wrote sweet harmony into their off kilter pop. The Young Sinclairs have piles of this sound and continue to have 7 inches thrown at them.

B-Side's "Ear to the Ground" has a bit of a Gimmie Shelter melody and the paisley is strong on this one with an old piano playing a role in this one, found in the corner, banging out a couple of chords between takes were probably the impetus for this one. Drag it under the mics and off they went balancing that cool jangle with warm two part vocal. They seem to have developed a niche for themselves not referencing the exact original stuff like Paul Messis, creating a shocking near perfect copy in thought and sound, but instead carefully dragging it forward, hand holding this sound with a few new tricks, but like punk there's a right way to do this and it's apparent immediately these guys know what they're doing. "Remember This Song" washes that high treble psych over the channels and Samuel's vocal has more of that aggressive edge. They still switch back to a softer chorus, but this snarling side of the Young Sinclairs is great. Taking a stand, grab that attention. They've really studied those nuances in equipment and songwriting of that period and all of a sudden here we are in 2014, no hovercars anywhere but instead still celebrating this sound from fifty years ago. Take that anti-rock grandpa's.

Get this from Planting Seeds Records.

The Young Sinclairs - we spoke our minds EP on Planting Seeds Records

There are a lot of bands recently on my radar exploring this '60s psyche sound taking it to new conclusions, or combining it with today's instrument sensibilities and then there are the bands that are the audio equivalent of civil war re-enactors. Not that The Young Sinclairs dress up or anything, but they take reproducing their sound very seriously. You can hear right away the painstaking attention to detail in this Byrds or Kinks era homage. It's uncanny, it may as well be a reissue from a psyche label version of Last Laugh...or is that Fruits De Mer Records?
It's not a Captured tracks release taking those musical ideas and moving forward. The Young Sinclairs are standing perfectly still, having studied this echo sound and then captured it completely, down the accurate mix levels of all the instruments. The sitar flavored guitar, double layered, high frequency eq'd vocal that sounds just the smallest bit like it's coming from a tin can.

The cover washed out field photo could have gone in that lonely acoustic direction, but it also applies to the abstract maybe substance altering perception of that '60s past. The Young Sinclairs are making a hell of a go of making those sounds unmistakably from the time. I almost want to play some kind of 7" gameshow where you could play something contemporary like this against an obscure '60s album and see if the contestants could tell the difference.

But even within this throwback genre these tracks stay catchy without being overly bubblegum or about holding hands...it's firmly rooted in those early psyche experimentation from 64-68, combining those pop songwriting elements with a more sinister, altered state side and adding more extreme reverb or echo effects. But here I am talking about this single like it's a part of that era... I honestly keep forgetting.

For a track like A-Side's "We Spoke our Minds" there's a groove bassline and delicate drum section, those two areas stay rock steady with subtle shifts while the electric takes liberties with that melody. The vocals have a tight plate reverb....it fluctuates between a tiny room and no effects at all. I'm getting a California Dreamin' feel from these and the Fresh & Onlys of course, they inevitably come up with any recent band that's close to this sound.
"Have a Home" has a softer harmony section and a more modern vocal phrasing then I think they would have tried back in the day. They've really captured that warm electric strum sound of the era, it's a more intimate space then the other distanced efforts on this one, and they just might have some updates up their sleeves once they get this exact reproduction out of their system. It's subtle.

"You can have her" goes back to the symbolic '60s elements; the tambourine, the acoustic. I can't get over this production, they nail this sound....I'm no expert but the memories of what tiny amount of experience I've had with this sound is all here. It doesn't matter if it actually was anymore. What I imagine all music from my parents generation has to authentically be here. The guitar solo and a heavy gain boosted amp sound, the strings almost cutting out. That little gem of an imperfect performance is what gives this track it's character....like Cinnamon Girl. That Neil Young solo is the most amazing one note experimental playing I've ever heard.

I like these guys a lot, but I worry someone found these 4 tracks on an old reel to reel at a garage sale and this band doesn't even exist. Someone see them live and say it 'aint so.

I can't help but think also the label really missed an opportunity here with that fancy paper that has seeds pressed into it you can bury in the ground and it will grow. Unless they did that previously...or it's a stupid idea, who wants to bury the 7" sleeve?

Get this single from The Young Sinclairs from the Planting Seeds Records store.

Roanoke, VA's The Young Sinclairs mark their debut release via Planting Seeds Records with the fabulous "We Spoke Our Minds E.P." (PSREC-065) Released worldwide July 20, 2010 on limited edition 33 1/3 RPM 7" Vinyl and Digital Download - the digital download version will include two bonus tracks . The Young Sinclairs have been bringing their brand of jangly 60's inspired psyche/folk/rock (RIYL: The Byrds, The Essex Green, Rain Parade etc.) to the world since 2005 as part of the Magic Twig Community. The band features: John Thompson, Daniel Cundiff, Sean Poff, Jonathan Woods, and Samuel Lunsford. In their five years they have self released several full length LPs and EPs. Along with their new "We Spoke Our Minds E.P." the band released the 18-song Vinyl only LP "Songs Of The Young Sinclairs" via Athens, GA's Kindercore Records. They have also toured with fellow PSR artists The Lovetones. They are gearing up to support both releases with their much anticipated summer tour with THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE.