There are some things in this world that just feel ever so right. Whether it’s the taste of your favorite food or the feeling of the chilling wind on your skin on an autumn day as the crisp leaves fall, there’s no shortage of satisfying concoctions, and that goes doubly so for music. At this point, each style has plenty of bands out there that embody only the finest of what the sound is capable of with time only honing their abilities and allowing us as listeners to come before one example of greatness after another. In no small way, the world of instrumental psychedelic rock is flowing with such talent even with some continuing to defy expectations and raise the bar time after time. With their newest album, Yawning Man returns to us in top form to show us precisely why they still deserve to be considered one of the very best across the whole genre.

When we’re dealing with a band as accomplished, mature, and masterful as Yawning Man, it’s always tempting to immediately write-off any new material as something that demands our attention and respect purely based off the reputation that the band has made for itself over the years and across many albums. We need to remember to pull back and remember that we can’t just go around glazing established talent just for what they’ve done before as missteps and mistakes are still absolutely possible no matter who we’re talking about. That being said, it’s after losing myself within the six tracks of “Pavement Ends” that I cannot help but feel as though Yawning Man is more than deserving of such high praise yet again. Tackling of the heaviest and darkest themes that the band has taken in recent years, the sky itself opens up before the very majesty of Yawning Man with the infinite horizon something that is constantly beckoning the listener to move forward as the captivates riffs blend perfectly with the expansive atmospheres to make “Pavement Ends” deeply impactful from top to bottom. Adhering to many of the same principles that has allowed Yawning Man to standout in the first place, it’s here that we’re reminded why this name is always something to be watched as I have no doubt that this album is going to be downright transformative for many.

Shifting colors before our eyes and never shying away from grotesque madness to find a better way forward, it’s all the way until the last echoing note of “Pavement Ends” that Yawning Man sought to deliver a deeply impactful performance, and it would be an outright lie to imply that they accomplished anything less. If nothing else, Yawning Man has only further cemented their status here as one of the prime acts of the entire genre that have yet to give us a reason to doubt its captivating power.

“Pavement Ends” releases on November 14th via Heavy Psych Sounds!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Pavement Ends” on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.

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