Welcome to Tunnel Visions’ view of the world.
When one thinks of Brighton it’s always as a sunny place, the ocean glistening and the sand blindingly bright in the sun.
But, like any city, it has dark secrets lurking in corners, down side streets and in basements.
Like Tunnel Visions: beginning life as a three-piece, this circus of tricksters have evolved to become seven, their sound a seedy fusion of garage rock and classic British psychedelia. This maiden EP is one part of a story, or experience, based around the dominance of dreams in both day and night.
As the title suggests, the five songs cover the daytime, but it’s less a collection of songs and more of a 20-minute snapshot into their murky world.
As Overground opens the band are all braced, seemingly taking a momentary pause before launching into this mini-opus of jangling psychedelia, complete with Syd Barrett intonation and imagery (‘the dust moved their fresh skins around’) before launching into an unsettling gallop with a Peter Gunn-esque guitar lick.
As all the five tracks do, Overground segues into recent single Lazy Eyes, which ups the tempo with a beast of a riff while sustaining the consciously fearful mood. Like a bad acid trip while on the dodgems, it’s hurdy-gurdy carnival style unsettles.
It’s followed by dry percussion, chiming guitars, piano and flutes on The Son, while, The Son (Through Summer) channels the theme of recurring nightmares amidst a pleasant daytime environment, represented by acoustic guitar and mantra-like vocal delivery.
The instrumental Goodnight summarises things, harnessing a feel of resignation as the subject enters the night time, ending with the sound of lift-off as a cliffhanger to what’s to come.
Part two, Foggy Moon, follows later this year. Bring on the night time.
