It’s In Our Mind, the debut EP by LA’s Paper Pools was released August 26th independently and is an immersively solid mix of breezy indie rock, synth-pop and a hint of psychedelia.

Paper Pools is a visionary journey that charts the life of project creator, Allen Orr. Orr is a talented multi-instrumentalist whose journey thus far culminates on It’s In Our Mind travelling through all the peaks and valleys along the way. Growing up he moved around a lot, but as a young adult landed in New York where he dove in to both music and visual art. For several years the visual art took precedent landing Orr a career in design, which brought him to L.A.

It’s In Our Mind is a remarkable, albeit short, EP that crafts a theme of contrast throughout the duration of the seven tracks. The album opens with an instrumental “Intro” that melds right in to “Evil.” Evil is a solid indie pop track that emits a danceable vibe while retaining a strong singer/songwriter introspective lyrically. “Familiar” creates a similar atmosphere, but takes the tempo down ever so slightly in comparison to “Evil.”

“Turn On Your Lights” paints a beautiful contrast of contemporary and classic. It could easily fit among modern artists like MGMT, but the analog textures also are reflective of Orr’s love of artists like Peter Gabriel. Orr has even stated that, “Music from the 70s and 80s has so much sonic depth. I use that same kind of depth to draw listeners into my life and all the things I’ve gone through.”

The last half of the EP starts after a slight interlude in instrumental track “Through Air” that fades out before the opening notes of “Flying Friends.” While Orr is the primary talent on the EP (he sang and played every note, riff and synth part minus a few backing vocals provided by Kim Kelly (Amazombies, Mal de Mer)) he called upon Adam Christgau to provide the album’s mesmerizing grooves. Christgau’s contributions on “Flying Friends” adds some very lush layering to the track. The album ends with “Portraits” which is another track that embraces contemporary/classic contrast that is so brilliantly displayed on “Turn On Your Lights.”

It’s In Our Mind is a remarkable journey expressing Orr’s unique life. It feels free and natural while also creating a sense of being otherworldly.

It’s In Our Mind is available now on all major streaming platforms.

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