The Amazing ‘Picture You’

Words by Dennis Ruhlin

I’m in the tropics on a hammock, nursing a hangover while staring at the sea, drinking burnt coffee, and listening to arguably the perfect album for this lazy morning.

The Amazing’s Picture You is a solid album for anyone looking to space out and forget about whatever the fuck it is you want to forget about. This marks the third album from the Swedish mystery band, who do a marvelous job of channeling a vintage 80’s sound in an unclassifiable, slow psych-rock delight.

Lead singer Christopher Gunrup’s hazy vocals drift along in front of spacy guitars through most of the album, where you’re hard pressed to find a track under the 5 minute mark. At no point do the lingering songs become boring or repetitive. It’s almost the exact opposite! I found I wanted the songs to keep going because they did such an astounding job of capturing you and keeping you entertained despite the intimidating length.

The slow, haunting guitar and drum lullaby jam session “Picture You” could instantly remind you of that extended version of that one epic song your favorite band always plays live. Most of the tracks are lovely, with some hidden aspects to them, like the groovy undertones in “Fryshusfunk.” Then you’ve got the track “Headless Boy” which is an acoustic trip about God knows what. Seriously, they didn’t release any lyrics, and the beautiful song is hard to understand.

This is an album for anyone who wants to watch the world go by and forget about the bullshit. Fans of The War on Drugs or My Morning Jacket or similar acts to either of them would receive this album well. Don’t dig into it too deep, just sit back, zone out, and enjoy.