“Year of the Rat” is a single from the forthcoming debut full-length from Portland, Oregon’s Plastic Cactus. It’s sound is a mix of late summery surf rock and dream pop with choice distortion giving the psychedelic flourishes some grit. But it also has some refreshing twists and turns including an almost prog rock bit of ascending passages that give way to melodies in direct motion. It is partly whimsical and partly otherworldly like music for a semi-benevolent, haunted amusement park. Fans of La Luz, Dum Dum Girls and Best Coast will appreciate the fusion of retro pop aesthetics with the eclectic genre bending of a more modern band including a riff or two that recall something The Olivia Tremor Control might have done in its own trick of pop songcraft misdirection. And yet this song seems to ultimately be about braving the dark waters of your own psyche to encourage one’s authentic self to emerge in spite of the forces that have driven it into hiding. Listen to “Year of the Rat” on Spotify and follow Plastic Cactus at the links below.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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