At The Core Of The Earth

Magic Potion “Rest Yr Skull”

Gustaf Montelius is the type of indie rock guitarist who makes it all sound incredibly easy, as if anyone could pick up a guitar and casually pluck out a slightly off-kilter but immediately pleasing riffs and leads. He’s got this and a mellow, slack relationship with the beat with Stephen Malkmus, but Magic Potion’s similarities to Pavement is more of an aesthetic kinship and shared philosophy than a direct A-sounds-like-B thing. Montelius’ songs have a sort of impish quality, and a melodic style that strikes me as bit more ‘60s. “Rest Yr Skull” reminds me a little bit of Donovan in particular, and has some of his playful qualities, but perhaps a bit more so. The part that really gets me in this song is the guitar solo section, which is so loose that it almost feels tentative and improvised, and manages a weird and lovely balance of wooziness and grace.

Buy it from Bandcamp.