ROY is how Toronto psych scenester Patrick Lefler likes to get dressed for a night on the town, all paisley finery, hookahs and a knack with a lazily excellent dream of Pepperland.
He plies his excellent trade for Idée Fixe, a label which noted its first encounter with ROY’s aesthetic while ploughing through the demo stack one fine day. “Out slid two 5” reel-to-reel tapes wrapped in tin foil,” someone over at the label said.
What emerged was ROY’s first album for the label, last year’s Peace, Love And Outer Space: a glimmering and conceptual LP about government conspiracy and omniscient alien beings named Sky Brother and Sky Sister, with a message of peace to save humankind.
Wind the clock forward and ROY’s ready to beguile us again, as he readies to pass the well-rolled cone of new album Roy’s Garage across the rug to you. He wants you to turn on with him. We think that’ll be good place to go.
Patrick says of this new ‘un: “Roy’s Garage exists inside everybody’s mind. It is where you keep your fondest memories and your darkest secrets.
“I hope it is a place of exploration and healing; also a space to hold yourself accountable and learn how to be new again; there is never a bad moment to go to the Garage.”
And he’s just followed up last month’s baroque-psych, Strawberry Alarm Clock for the 21st century drop “Where Did My Mind Go”, with some good ol’ hoedownin’ Texas-style garage punk in the manifesto-setting “I’m Not Afraid” – he really isn’t; ROY is ready to “break away, to live today,” his self-activating lyrics all smothered in harmonica skitting and organ. Yep, ROY gets this music. You’re gonna miss him, babe; but he’s not afraid. YOWWWW!
Brothers and sisters: the time hath come to make a little more room in your psychedelic pop heart for a Canadian songsmith sure to seduce your Carnaby Street-lovin’ synapses; please, if you would, put your hands together for ROY.
ROY’s Roy’s Garage will be released by Idée Fixe digitally and on vinyl on May 14th; pre-orders are being taken now over at Bandcamp and at Idée Fixe.
