Okay, this record is a lot softer than what I usually share here. Most of the time it’s snarls, feedback, and three-chord chaos, but Winter McQuinn’s Where Are We Now? had me happily trading my frantic headbopping and air drumming for a cup of tea and a comfy chair. My ears, it turns out, like the respite.

McQuinn has always dabbled in psych-folk and soft rock, but here he leans further into lush, piano-led arrangements and collaborative vocals that bring warmth and color to every track. The result feels less like a solo record and more like a communal dream. Think The Lemon Twigs in how authentically it revives a different era, without slipping into pastiche. Instead, it’s thoughtful, timelessly melodic, and surprisingly addictive.

Soft or not, this one belongs on repeat. Out now on Third Eye Stimuli.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp