Washed Out - Paracosm

Right now, probably even as I write this, someone is probably listening to Washed Out’s second full-length Paracosm and making a lifetime of memories with the record’s gentle dreamscapes serving as the soundtrack.

“They could do worse” would be the old, cynical response, but the truth is that the kids today have the enviable position of having a record like Paracosm spinning in the background of falling in love, discovering one another through late night stories, or even spending a glorious weekend together among friends, dangerously selfish in their youth.

Of course, this is a very romantic notion of what I think kids should be doing with their time, and I’d be more than just a tad bit disappointed if these types of things don't still happen with youth. If music still has the ability to touch, soften, and impact their lives the way it has for me, then Paracosm can become a record of tremendous potential for anyone with a big heart and the smarts to nurture that fickle organ.

Paracosm is filled with romantic notions just as much as it’s filled with youthful optimism. It’s fitting that it’s being released at the end of summer, because memories suddenly become bathed in soft-focus reflection the moment you start looking for a long-sleeve option.  Paracosm is as warm as a collegiate sweatshirt and its comfort may have you investing a good deal of time within its infectious intricacies.

Maybe it’s the weird dichotomy of recently attending a funeral and experiencing the event’s social healing properties that makes lines like “Meet up with the old crowd…It all feels right” resonate as much it would with a younger listener, prepping for the last big bash of the summer. Paracosm is a record with universal appeal and it’s as hypnotic and alluring as any record you’ll hear this year.

Producer Ben Allen is responsible for much of this album’s success, but it’s also very clear that Washed Out’s Earnest Greene is out to make his musical ambition more than just a whim he created in the bedroom of his parent’s house, an outlet to remain productive while looking for work.

Paracosm makes it seem like Greene finally realizes that Washed Out is his job now, and he’s done remarkable work doing the heavy-lifting of making our last few weeks of summer sound great.