Although One Track Mind hails from Norway, their sound actually sounds more like it comes from the suburbs of California or the housing projects of Scotland. There are strong influences from bands like Jesus and Mary Chain and Primal Scream, but One Track Mind actually sounds like the music that influenced those bands, thereby immediately surpassing in authenticity the bulk of musicians merely attempting to imitate the nasally tones of Jim Reid. Their new album, A Price to be Paid, is a stylized amalgamation of psychedelica, punk, and garagey surf rock with a reverb-heavy production giving it a smoky, melancholic sheen.
Although the majority of the record is relatively low key, it does get a boost from some poppier moments like the garage, northern soul stomp of “Desolate Soul” and the Beatlesque “Trash.” From the impregnable shoegaze of “To The Other Side” to the Pink Floyd drugginess of “River of Life,” the whole album is one hazy, extended dream, like an episode of Twin Peaks where ideas, thoughts, reality and fantasy all collide. Released in October by Brygga Records, A Price to be Paid is an impressive debut record from a band with a unique and fresh take on the genre.
