When the Chicago, IL-based Secret Colours released their debut, self-titled effort and their sophomore effort Peach last year, they were a sextet, which is a somewhat unusual setup for most indie rock bands. But between those releases and the announcement of the band’s two albums they’ll be releasing this year, Positive Distractions Part 1 and Positive Distractions Part 2, the band has gone through a massive lineup change, leaving the band’s two founding members Tommy Evans (vocals, guitar) and Justin Frederick (drums) as the only original members of the band. And with the band now emerging as quartet with the addition of new members, Eric Hehr (bass) and Mike Novak (guitar), the band’s overall sound went through a bit of a change of sonic direction – both as the natural course of things, and as a necessity. 

With two albums recorded and released so close together, they will share similarities and differences. “Heavy and Steady,” the first single off Positive Distractions Part 2 employs the use of organ chords and a taut bass line much like the two singles off Positive Distraction Part 1; however, “Heavy and Steady” has a bluesy, shuffling stomp that kind of reminds me of the Doors – but with increasingly psychedelic sound effects such as guitars and vocals fed through delay, reverb and looping pedals to crate a warping effect at points. And check out the bridge, which suddenly gives the song a brief but quiet and very trippy sense of beauty, which may have been underpinning the song all along.