Now in their 38th year of existence, The Chemistry Set continue to validate their existence with wonderful vignettes of pure psych. Occupying a ground laid out by the original purveyors of English psych, their toy box psych opens doors of perception into those fantastically warped rose tea gardens. To journey into their music is to venture into a never-ending world of songs which on the surface can be rather foreboding, yet each one invites you with open arms.
To help with your journey of discovery, that other stalwart of the psych scene Fruits de Mer have kindly released a compilation of what the band say are their favourite songs, and what a journey it is. From straight ahead indie psych such as ‘Silver Birch’ and ‘Time To Breathe’, through the Eastern tone driven ‘Love Or Confusion’, the Kinksian ‘Lovely Cuppa Tea’ (a song Damon Albarn probably wishes he had wrote), and into the giddy horn filled psych of ‘Legend Of A Mind’, there is little let up in song quality. All this in just the first quarter of the album.
The Chemistry Set have never been afraid of a cover or two either, with an excellent rendition of Traffic’s ‘Dear Mr Fantasy’ included. Along with that is a selection of songs from their various albums which demonstrate what a veritable feast of music they have within their arsenal. This is just the tip of the surface though, and with over fifty releases to their name you might find yourself in a rabbit hole you might never return from. At least whilst in there you will be with some of the finest homegrown psych around. Enjoy the trip.
