A nice step forward from his already close to perfect debut and his sound is now filled with even more summer warmth and psychedelic wonder.
Morgan Delt's Phase Zero navigates that thin line between rêverie and acid trip, drawing an accepted state of temporary and discreet insanity.
The intricacies from his previous efforts have not been lost altogether mind, and it might be the case that ‘Phase Zero’ is an album that grows on you over time and a number of listens.
He’s jettisoned that strangeness, and in its place is a more well-realized psych-pop album, with perhaps better songwriting but less charm.
It’s not that Phase Zero is an exercise in pastiche or imitation; this is a record in which appeal pivots upon understatement.
Phase Zero really isn't bad, but in a year that's given us sterling releases from the likes of Amber Arcades, Fews, Money, Desert Mountain Tribe and Minor Victories among countless others, it just feels fairly run of the mill by comparison.
While perhaps a bit uneven in terms of accessibility, this is truly one of the great psychedelic albums of the 2010s.
Take for example 'The System of 1000 Lies' Here Delt entertains the darker/paranoid side of psychedelia. The eastern tinged melodies impress upon the listener the alluring captivity of post-industrial capitalism, which markets wealth and freedom of choice at its subjects, with a slavish penalty.
'Another Person' captures another trademark quality of psychedelia: ... read more
#57 | / | Piccadilly Records |