Following on from the summer of psychedelia that saw Toy, Tame Impala and Pond revisit the hazy days of experimental rock‘s heyday come Great Ytene with their debut self titled EP.

Named after the Anglo-Saxon term for the New Forest, the Southern four piece of Leon Diaper (guitar/vocals), Lewis Baker (drums), Jorge Stride (bass) and Tom Baker (guitar) take the listener through six tracks of jangling introspection, managing to delve deep into atmospherics and fuzzy guitars to create a mind-altering introduction to their heady sound. Giving a further exploratory feel to proceedings, the EP was co-produced by Rory Atwell (Test Icicles) and Iggy B (Money, Snowbird), who stretch out what the band have learned thus far on the road to a blissful breaking point.

It all opens with the guitar driven “Away From Now”, in which the band’s instrumentals swell and peter out rhythmically against Diaper’s spacey chants, with a playful bassline, a distorted guitar breakdown and muffled drums all adding to its intrigue.

Static filled sounds of the waves play in the earthier “Hunter”, a velvety track with shimmering hooks on which Great Ytene sound at their fullest but also retain a retro simplicity that echoes Pink Floyd in places.

“Birds” in turn has a harder, darker feel to it as the crackling fuzz of a guitar fades into chirpy birdsong samples and swirling chords. It’s ethereal, but at the same time raw in parts, as pedals creatively warp electronics. During “Witch”, hums of bass peep through as persistent drum rolls keep the song on an upward trajectory.

Coming back down to earth in “Unknowing”, foreboding walls of distortion are layered with twinkling noise before the bass creeps in again, plateauing into soft lulls of guitar and a kaleidoscope of harmonies. By the time things reach a close with the jingling “Suburban Lights”, Great Ytene’s psychedelic treatement should have at least come close to mesmerising all in earshot.