One Track Mind

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While the name Josh Schwartz may not ring a bell, chances are good you’ve heard some of his work. Schwartz’s career began in the ’90s Los Angeles scene with Further, included notable stops as a guitarist and songwriter for Beachwood Sparks (and their under-appreciated spin-off group The Tyde), touring roles with John Cale and The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess, and even a chair as a session player in John C. Reilly’s band in Walk Hard.

On April 20th, Schwartz will unveil the self-titled debut for his latest project, Painted Hills, a record which picks up where the sun-drenched, Laurel Canyon vibe of The Tyde left off. The eleven track album will be released by Bird Song Recordings, a label run by Velvet Crush and Matthew Sweet drummer Rick Menck (which itself suggests the scale and style of Painted Hills’ meaty hooks).

The second track on Painted Hills, “Kaleidoscope Eyes” is a three and a half minute strut led by big guitars and rich vocal harmonies. It is less psychedelic leaning than anything Schwartz played on for Beachwood Sparks–the ’60s influences here are more implied than explicitly stated. Instead, the band travels down that distinctly Californian trail pursued by kindred spirits such as Cosmic Rough Riders. Nothing about “Kaleidoscope Eyes” is overwrought or overthought; its few layers of instrumentation are direct and focused with no wasted notes. The choruses, powerful in their simplicity and inhabiting that space which is best defined as “summery,” sweep the listener away like a tide rolling in.