Multi-instrumentalist and presumed open-minded soul, Jason Hartman aka Old Spirit has produced something both magical and mystical. Part retro, part futuristic, and perfectly imperfect. Tons of greasy hard rock riffs shimmer on high while the swirling melodies waver through the mind. Immersed in high-class psychedelia, the music swigs, and sways, carrying you to places you didn’t know needed to go.
Vocals? Yes, there are vocals if you want to call them that. Hartman uses a heavily processed amalgam of ghostly moans and wraith-like cries, all to tantalizing effect. Does he have a good voice? Don’t know. Don’t care. His use of imagination and studio wizardry provides a wonderful and much-needed breath of fresh air. This album is the space between the spaces, and it is the cool new discovery you can’t wait to share with your friends.
Lead track, “Snow Leopard,” while not quite reflecting the whole EP, is packed with spit and swag, almost coming off as an imitation of Greta Van Fleet. And yes, I am aware of the irony of someone imitating Greta Van Fleet. Fear not. The latter half of the song is fully laced with the (signature?) Old Spirit treatment that makes this album such an unexpected joy. This exquisite oddness feathers through the rest of the EP, rockin’ the socks and peppering the intellect.
Stand-out moments? I’d say roughly everything. Tracks like “Seasons” are fairly straight-edged yet receive a liberal sprinkling of flat-out weirdness (in a good way, of course.) “Feel the Stars” is a mushroom-infused inverted kaleidoscope. It slinks and ebbs, climbing an endless staircase of unpredictability. Truth is all these songs are first-rate, multi-layered experiences worthy of repeat listening. Hartman has the gift of turning the wondrous music in his head into something we can all hear and enjoy. I anxiously await what comes next.
