By: Nora E. Lindner
Rating: 7/11 

Listening to NYC trio Sky Picnic brings to mind two seemingly contradicting clichés — both “a breath of fresh air” and “a blast from the past.” Confused? Take a listen to the band’s debut EP, Synesthesia (2009), and hear for yourself.  

Sky Picnic, which started in early 2007, includes co-founders Chris Sherman (guitar/vocals), Leah Cinnamon (bass guitar/vocals), as well as Pete Meriwether (drums). Their five-track debut EP Synesthesia (2009) does its best to live up to its name — it is certainly an experience to listen to, but perhaps not one that transcends the boundaries of the senses. However. it certainly transcends the boundaries of time, taking its cues from your parents’ vinyl collection. 

The EP opens with “Tea Break” — very late 60’s with that eerie “Eastern” flavor that was so popular at the time. “Half the Queens Face” is reminiscent of The Yardbirds. “Moons of Jupiter” fills out the middle of the album with almost seven minutes of instrumental psychedelia. Again, this is influenced no doubt by the instrumental rock genre that was so popular in the late 60s — but now in the 21^st century, when pop has just come back with a vengeance, it’s quite a daring endeavor. 

While innovative as well as recycled, there are some aspects of the music, influenced by past or present, that could be refined. Sherman and Cinnamon, who takes turns on lead vocals, both have the nasally intonations that can be grating to some listeners. Cinnamon’s voice in particular is often just the slightest bit off-key and strives for a Nico-esque monotone that never quite succeeds.  

In the case of “The Wise Man Lost His Head, ” Cinnamon’s voice leaves something to be desired (like a tuning fork), but it’s fair to say the echo-effect they overlay her with certainly doesn’t help the situation. The song itself starts with a lovely melody, but at the bridge bursts forth into a bit of a rocking jam that dissembles into a loss of the plot. By the end, the song has strayed so far off the starting mark that the original idea has been forgotten by band and listeners alike. When it suddenly reverts to that charming melody, it’s easy to mistake it for the start of the next track. 

The most promising of all the tracks on the EP is the last, “Sequence IV.” With a running time of 13:26, it is mostly another instrumental jam — but this one done right. Unlike the songs that come before it, it manages to keep one cohesive theme from beginning to end, building upon itself and creating enough drama to stretch itself through the long haul.  

The still unsigned Sky Picnic will released their first full length album Farther In This Fairy Tale on January 1. Synthesia is available for download on the band’s official website.