Triptides - “Invitation”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…The Drums, Levitation Room, Tame Impala

Just by looking at Triptides’ album covers of pool parties, mountaintops, and psychedelic kaleidoscope patterns, the vibrato surf-rock already starts to jangle in your ears. But while some of their contemporaries have locked exclusively into breezy beachy tunes, Triptides continues to take risks and expand their songwriting prowess. From reverb drenched vocals sung out of a cave to 12-string guitars conjuring “Shelter Song” by Temples, the group is versatile enough to shift between various genres including lush pop, garage rock, and California 60’s revival. Sure, the band clearly wears their influences on their sleeve in the single “Invitation,” but when the artists bleeding through are legends such as the Byrds, the Beatles, and the Yardbirds, the result is a fresh sound fit for any era. (Drew Doggett)