Drawing influences from the halcyon days of '70s prog bands like Weather Report and King Crimson and the modern jazz psychedelia stylings of BADBADNOTGOOD or Kamasi Washington, Squids takes their listeners on universal and jam-centric thrill rides.
The debut album, Possijams, mixes ethereal vocals, groove-tempered bass lines, nostalgia-vibed synth chords, flawless avant-garde guitar hooks, and drum beats that would give the greats a run for their money. Simply, Squids creates textural sonic paragons that leave the listener frantically jumping to the next track.
The lead single "Yeax11," the most radio-friendly of the tracks, is as cinematic as it is experimental and it puts the listener in states of harmonious bliss, pairing nicely with clips of exploratory art-house films.
Possijams' opener "King of the Henday," takes the audience to the psychedelic world of Albertan highways—featuring samples of truckers talking about the perils of the road as a wave of whimsical instrumentation washes over the track.
Tracks also simultaneously bleed into each other, like with the freakout instrumental "Hot Pocket Picker" ending on the same opening note as "True Religion Gene Principe."
The hallucinatory vocals in "True Religion Gene Principe" are also sung in a multi-coloured lense and at times, the track sounds reminiscent of Pink Floyds's "One of These Days."
As they do best, Squids beautifully interweaves a cornucopia of instrumental madness that begs for a repeat in order to catch a sound or phrase that was missed.
"Popadynetz" is like a musical amphetamine that conveys the true musicianship of every member of Squids, containing instrumental breakdowns that leave the listener in a perpetual state of disbelief.
Yes, Possijams is an album meant to be played loud and all the way through and though Squids is a band that is meant to be experienced live, this album is the perfect way to sate an old and new fan's hunger.
