On April 25, Evil Wizardry released the condensed, electronic beauty that is The Garden. Evil Wizardry is a Utica-grown ambient, dream pop, noise band. A summary of those genres is: Though there are vocals and lyrics to this 5-song EP, don’t try to listen close without a lyric sheet, or your head might explode. It’s spacious vibes can certainly be appreciated, but everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Try to think your way through these songs and you’ll find yourself strangled by the racket rather than cozied in its trippy waves.
“Trance Path” begins with a trance drum beat and jangly nineties guitar. Soon, expressive vocal phrases show their heads, though altogether, the song is a warped, making you bend over to listen closer to the somehow distant music. “Trance Path” ends with guitar bouncing up and down from the speakers. Song Two, “Gordon’s First Informal Race” starts differently, with a beach pop guitar lick. In between the runaway guitar segments, soft vocals and rhythmic guitar carry your mind away.
An acoustic guitar and low humming synth kick off “The Garden Wanderer.” The guitar and synth work together, singing a playful melody portraying a gardener taking delight in working on his purely organic manifest. The vocals add a sort of ghastly feel before the song is overcome by bright electric guitar plinking. “Backyard” is the most peaceful song on this extended play. A sorrowful blend of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and vocals brings us to a open-eyed stupor. The song delicately falls apart about halfway through. Finally, “Sun” literally brings us to outer space. Spaceship synthesizers and distant guitar whirls are the song’s fundamentals. “Sun” continues in the manner to the very end, eventually plunging the listener into deep space.
Evil Wizardry’s latest release, The Garden, can be found on the band’s BandCamp, here. A free stream of Evil Wizardry’s material can be found below.