"I found out I never knew where it was going/ And it might take a while," Psychic Ills sing on One Track Mind. For the psych-dabblers (who celebrate their tenth birthday this year), this could have been the mantra all along. Following on from their debut Dins, they spent the next decade playing with different sounds and approaches, all loosely based around a fairly cosmic aesthetic. Where that album was new age-y with great pop impulses, follow-up Early Violence was a left turn into murky, minimalist post-punk. The all-improv Mirror Eye was a messy, often intolerable stretch of raga drones. 2011's aptly titled Hazed Dream, their first for New York imprint Sacred Bones, toyed with bluesy Eastern psychedelia. They've never really had a compass, and while the same school of thought has sometimes benefitted bands of their ilk in very exciting ways, it's often left Psychic Ills' catalogue looking lopsided.
Their latest effort, One Track Mind, is yet another diversion, and one that couldn't have been predicted. Though most closely resembling Hazed Dream, One Track Mind is the most straightforward album Psychic Ills have ever made, offering 10 tracks that sound like they were all found along the same stretch of desert highway. Some of this is likely down to the presence of Neil Hagerty (of the Howling Hex, and formerly Royal Trux and Pussy Galore), who contributes backing vocals and produced a couple songs. While One Track Mind is unlikely to be mistaken for the work of a different band (though it's uncannily like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in parts), its unexpected clarity of vision and execution makes it arguably their best album since Early Violence, though the rewards aren't great.
Psychic Ills have always been more concerned with establishing feel and atmosphere over general songcraft, and here they just about manage to bridge the gap. Almost every track features similar components-- rippling, melty guitars, country jangle, hints of desert mirage psychedelia-- alternating between tempos that are either morphine drip-slow or a more sinister boogie. The songs with more step are the most memorable, like "Depot", its grislier tone coming off genuinely, potently sexy. "FBI" and (more successfully) "Western Metaphor" stand out thanks to the added funk, both blistered and blazed.
Psychic Ills' Achilles' heel is still in plain view, as much of One Track Mind is simply quite dull. It's a pretty repetitive listen thanks to the unvarnished structure of these songs, but what really drags things down is a lack of necessary drama. A howling guitar on "See You There" brings some welcome fire and brimstone, but mostly emphasizes the dynamic void elsewhere. The shout-along chorus of "Might Take a While" should feel like a sinner's testimony, but comes across limp. The same can be said for Tres Warren's weightless vocals throughout.
Considering the band's taste for zoning out to infinity, One Track Mind really needed a harsher edit. With some tightening and pruning, it could have burst into bloom. A decade in, much of that spent in the shadow of peers like Black Dice and Gang Gang Dance, it's heartening that Psychic Ills are still exploring new avenues, though they rarely punch above their weight.
