The last we heard from psychedelic rock band Yeasayer, it was 2011 and they were feeding our brains with the musical treat “I Remember,” which sounded like a whimsical carousel ride in an imaginary world. There wasn’t much word from the band until they announced an August 20 release of their third LP, Fragrant World. In addition to giving out a full track listing of Fragrant World, they also announced a tour which will hit cities in the United States as well as Europe.
Thankfully, Yeasayer is back with another musical LSD tab in the form of “Henrietta,” which is the first single from the album. The song kicks in with some extremely funky bass and a steady drum beat that makes you want to nod your head and bounce your shoulders up and down with a big grin on your face (that’s what I did, at least). Then halfway through the track, it slows down completely and a sound like a UFO taking off rushes through, and what sounds like a whole new song begins. The sound of synths hurtles into your ear, while a steady snare taps and heavy bass hits deep. Chris Keating’s hypnotic vocals seep into your ear with him singing softly “Oh Henrietta / We can live on forever.” If I could kayak through clouds with unicorns surrounding me, I would want to do it with this song on repeat.
When describing what the new album would sound like an interview, band member Anand Wilder explained that they were using a lot of “sci-fi elements and combining it with soul music,” and this is literally the perfect explanation of “Henrietta.” After you give this track a listen, you will feel like you have been abducted by some musically talented aliens that were influenced by the ’60s.