The debut project from Josh Herren is a futuristic and exceptional piece of psychedelic dream rock. Influenced by sonic soundscapes that inherently bear with them the call of elements outside of this universe, he’s crafted a seven track EP that constantly has you imagining euphoric worlds in some sort of confluence between a more gloomy science fiction space and a fantasy world. In a sense, he’s drawn influence from psychedelic projects across the ages with bits of Pink Floyd and Tame Impala being strewn in for equal measure. The entire project is a self constructed EP with Herren executing across all fronts. The resulting stoner rock epic is a journey in and of itself, a passage or tunnel into a sci-fi paradise to entirely immerse yourself within.
Herren’s quarantine musical journey began without too much seriousness attached to. Slowly, as he started to revel in the process and the work, he found himself increasingly enthralled and interested in fleshing out a cohesive vision. Galaxy Shores is a black hole, a portal that you have to allow yourself to fall into to truly appreciate all the intricacies and subtleties it brings alive. Free Fall pitch perfectly gets the feeling and the imagination of catapulting into a different realm right. On I Guess It’s Time, the more spaced out Tame Impala stylistic elements come roaring through. It’s at the albums midpoint that Herren really moulds his vision into something magnificent. ‘Launch Sequence-Re Entry’ is the album’s zenith, a progressive rock expedition of a piece that is wholly hypnotic and euphoric. Waves upon waves of synths barrage onto you amongst a larger than life soundscape that has you feeling like you’re riding a spaceship.
A masterfully composed and arranged psychedelic project from an individual songwriter with a lot more to give, ‘Galaxy Shores’ is a welcome addition to the dream rock landscape.