โInnocent Dreadโ by Matty Groves steps into a hazy, late-night reverie where time is suspended and heavy. Right from the start, the soft, glimmering guitar melodies wash over you like warm sunlight breaking through fog, immediately setting this immersive, expansive atmosphere. Grovesโ high, grainy, and gentle voice floats in delicately, carrying this sense of serene introspection that makes you want to just lean back and let the song wrap around you. The subtle rustle of beats over a deep, steady bass grounds the track without ever pulling you out of its dreamy spell, and the harmonies drift in and out, merging with the instrumentals to create this ethereal, almost hypnotic swirl.
What really hits is how the song balances its psychedelic textures with soft rock grooves and subtle blues undertones, tensing it quite like you would bury your head in the sand while the world stirs around you. Itโs reflective, yes, itโs definitely something in which you can lose yourself in during a late-night drive or in a dimly lit room with your thoughts. Grovesโ knack for weaving introspective lyrics into these lush soundscapes makes โInnocent Dreadโ a mood, a small escape, a soft landing in a chaotic world.
By the time the track drifts to its close, youโre left suspended between melancholy and comfort, nostalgia and novelty. Matty Groves and The Magical Speckled Band manage to echo the folk-psych vibes of Barrett, early Pink Floyd, and Nick Drake, yet โInnocent Dreadโ feels entirely of nowโtimeless in its calm intensity, hallucinatory yet intimately human. Listen to it on Spotify.
STAY IN TOUCH:
INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | BANDCAMP | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Photo credit: Charlotte Rankin
Review by: Naomi Joan