Self Isolated by The Groovy Nobody: Snapshots from Quarintine

As we leave the turmoil that was 2020 behind and roll into the new year still nursing extraordinary hangovers and feeling those January blues set in I always find it comforting to put on some psychedelic rock and just chill. 'Self Isolated' by Washington State psychedelic rocker The Groovy Nobody (aka Sam Larson and his occasional writing partners and backing band Will Parker and Chris Clare) is just that kind of EP. 

It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, and on occasion is all the better for it, with a warm, comforting sound that will see you through to the summer. Its four tracks comprise re-recorded and extended versions of the Groovy Nobody's 3 favourite tracks from his 2 previous studio albums (2019's 'Klipsan Hideaway' and 2018's 'Lonely Sand Dune') and one entirely new track, all of them self-produced, re-recorded and re-arranged during last year's global lockdown in Larson's home studio near Seattle. 

Things get off to an optimistic start with the EP's gorgeous opener 'Follow the Leader,' which steeps itself in the Sixties pop, garage rock and psychedelia in the style of Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The 13th Floor Elevators as Larson tells us to 'run wild and experience life' over some jangling, layered guitar and squealing Hammond organ, his voice rivalling George Ezra in its smooth, deep tones.

In contrast, the follow-up track 'Loaded Gun' is a showcase for Larson's trippy production, turning what was originally just a serviceable album track from 2019's Klipsan Hideaway into a timely, sultry and moody exploration of people's inability to take responsibility for their actions. 

It's this production that really sets apart this EP from others in the genre. The Groovy Nobody is committed to his sound. You can feel that Sam Larson has a real love and respect for the classic psychedelic rock of the '60s and has tried his hardest to create a sound that reflects that but also fuses that vibe with west coast alternative rock to make a sound that breathes new life into these tracks.

'Midnight Fog' offers a change of pace, it finds Larson positively spaced out, as if lost in his memories, with a guitar intro that sounds straight out of a 60's era Pink Floyd album, as he reminisces about sleeping under the moon, transfixed by his lover to the point that everything around them becomes immaterial, the sound around him becoming lucid and loud, stretching almost to the point of progressive rock as the lead guitar glistens like the moonlight. 

'Earth Keeps Turning' is a fitting EP closer, as Larson ad-libs over subtle, brooding guitar, organ and synth, wishing to be anywhere but Earth. Sure, many artists have used the Covid-19 pandemic to retreat back to home studios and focus to go back to their musical roots. But with 'Self Isolated' the Groovy Nobody manages to do something original and capture a little snapshot of time in the ever-changing sea of rock so he can add a little slice of sunshine to these dark times.

Listen to or buy the EP here