A Million Billion Dying Suns formed earlier this year; however, frontman Nate Mercereau (guitarist and vocalist) and the rest of the band Steve Wyreman (guitar), Josh Lippi (bass), Derek Taylor (drums), and Ben Schiwer (keys) have been around for a while, as they’ve all played with the likes of Richard Ashcroft, Lauryn Hill and the legendary Chaka Khan. They’ve also backed Alice Russell, Chuck Prophet, and others. “Plush,” the first single off the band’s debut effort, the Strawberry EP managed to evoke the band’s name in some fashion —complete with undulating, reverb and wah-wah pedal drenched guitars seem to create the image of a star that’s just about to explode. And placed right above that are sinuous synth lines, and a pounding four-on-the-four beat. In some way, it sounds like blissed-out, psychedelic disco — until the blistering guitar solo right before the bridge. It’s a song that manages to be somewhat trippy like MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular but strangely funky. 

The latest single off the EP, “Hey Man,” consist of layers upon layers of feedback over twinkling keyboards and synth, and boom bap drums. In some way the track sounds as though it owes a great debt to the Stone Roses and the Jesus and Mary Chain – but with even more power and with elements of “On the Run” off Darkside of the Moon thanks to it’s use of pulsating, paranoid seeming synths at the bridge.