Refuting The Mind-Body Distinction

Rene Descartes maintained that the mind and body are two distinct substances, each with a different essential nature. Fortunately, some 400 years later, Brooklyn’s own Psymon Spine is here to bridge the gap with aplomb. Rejecting the basis of dualism is but a day’s work for Noah Prebish, Peter Spears, Brother Michael Rudinski, Zebadiah Stern, and repeat collaborator Sabine Holler. Head Body Connector, the band’s third official studio effort, is a deeply experimental, guitar-driven record constructed for easy onstage translation. Over the course of a brisk 10 tracks, Prebish et al synthesize the building blocks of their previous two outings into a cogent, cohesive whole, much like the title promises.

Opener “Boys” sees Sabine Holler on lead vocals, providing a strong sense of gravitas to every assertion from the outset; “I’ve got a right to an answer/ Just like a wavelength you can not hear.” Dazzling synths shimmer atop slick guitar licks as they coalesce on the chorus: “After this is over/I wanna hang out with my boys.” A full-on jam session ushers the listener skyward through a lyrical spaceship transmission. Follow-up single “Wizard Acid” is an immediate fusion of dance rock and breezy psychedelia. Cascading synthplay folds neatly into a rhythm section that brings in the refrain: “They said to stay home, but I’m falling/ And I think my house is haunted.” The chorus is chased by infectious backing French vocals that are guaranteed to worm their way into your prefrontal cortex. The track offers a brief respite to catch your breath during the post-chorus before catapulting you once again through the cosmos.

“Be the Worm” greets with heavier, punchier riffs and sticky bass as it depicts survival in a world of decay – “We built our home on a pyre/ We reached to heaven and the stars but left our forests on fire/ We’ll go to war when it dries up and we’ve run out of water/ So I don’t know but I think maybe it’s time we start over.” “Antimatter Kid” is liable to warrant a windup moshpit of flailing limbs and frenzied passion. It’s the most outwardly punk-leaning feature on the tracklist, ebbing and flowing with scuzzy guitar and bared fangs. The madcap chant of “It’s a known, it’s a known, it’s a known fact!” will most assuredly reduce any hole-in-the-wall venue to smithereens upon impact. The track slides cleanly into an unexpected, funky, groove-centric outro accompanied by a sly spoken-word affectation.

At the halfway mark, the Psymon crew show no sign of slowing down on exemplary single “Bored of Guitar.” It is the foundational pillar upon which the album hinges. A measured intro sets the stage for a frenetic whirlwind of titular guitarplay. “Boredom is the symptom, the sickness is doubt,” Prebish diagnoses on the fly, prescribing the band a hefty cacophony to shake loose the complacency of dulled dopamine receptors. The home stretch undergoes a key change that is set ablaze by Noah’s reignited passion. “Ketamine Hot Tub” is above and away the most experimental cut on the whole joint. What starts off as a seemingly-innocuous, comedic groove interlude evolves into a bonafide hallucinogenic rumination on substance abuse making the rich richer (“When I pop you in my mouth/ I feel a twinge of regret/ And though I’m grateful for the the peace you once brought me/ And the pain you helped me escape/ Someone’s getting rich off of my dependence”).

“So Far Away” sees Sabine returning on lead vocals, brandishing her proudest bassline. A potent sleeper track, it bears the most subdued vocal delivery on the record, alongside contemplative lyrics: “The system’s gonna eat your kids/ Blood on the hands of all the pigs/ The system is gonna make you a pet/ Rob you and tell you’re in debt.” The song’s underlying message is spoken plainly by way of Holler’s wispy exclamation: “Every single act of kindness counts/ Brief or intangible.”

“A Day Is A Long Time” starts out like the soundtrack to an 8-bit NES sidescroller; plucky arcade synths and robotic autotune set the scene. Noah settles into his natural cadence into the second verse as the interplay between instruments picks up tempo. “And we thought we’d found it/ Three things we wanted: / Sex, balance, rest,” he professes. “Chip the Monk” is the most overtly story-driven track, following the titular monk named Chip as he prepares himself for the final confrontation with his own mortality. The instrumentation on display would feel right at home on We Are Scientists’ Brain Thrust Mastery. As Chip ventures through his final day, his faith is put to the test – “The dust and ash/ Will carry on/ So rest your head, my friend/ And you’ll return/ As leaves and grass and ferns/ So reach towards the sun/ And burn/ To ascend at last.” Closer “The Kanks (No Plan)” boasts the shortest runtime – just over a minute – set to a piano-clad showtime outro with layered vocal harmonies. In the final seconds of connecting head and body, Prebish forgets not the heart: “And until I die, you’ll be my life.”

Coming in just over a half hour runtime, Head Body Connector‘s varied experimentation and joyful exploration put to rest outdated Cartesian thinking once and for all. I have every intention of burning holes into my eardrums with the sheer amount of times I’ll be returning to this record in 2024. As an immediate frontrunner for one of the most accomplished albums of the year’s first quarter, you’d be wise to put your head to good use and nourish your body with its full-bodied offerings.