Staff Picks: Dan Deacon - Mystic Familiar

For fans of: Maximalist hypnotic electronic-pop.

What they're saying: Accoding to Billboard.com: “Wild energy floods Mystic Familiar, but it’s controlled chaos, expressed through a bevy of electronics, but also piano, strings and saxophone.” And a recent NPR feature also chronicles the record’s making, citing its unlikely influences from meditative outings to the philosophies of Brian Eno. A four-star review from DIY Mag claims Mystic Familiar as Dan’s best and most cohesive record yet.

What we say: This record is a ton of fun but also a heavily layered listen. It is bursting with sound, while smoothing out some of DD’s more abrasive tendencies from earlier records. Truly futuristic psychedelic pop.