Tame Impala Fans Will Love Psychedelic Pop Artist Graffiti Welfare
Psychedelic pop, rock and experimental music enthusiasts and fans of artists like Tame Impala or Pink Floyd will love what Graffiti Welfare has put together on philosophy-inspired new album “Revolving Shores”.
“There are states of consciousness in which you can listen to sound and realize that that is the whole point of being alive.” In “To Be It (ft. Alan Watts)”, the lead single off of Graffiti Welfare’s concept album “Revolving Shores”, the artist explores this Alan Watts quote as a means to exploring life itself.
With its hypnotic looping and dazzling tribal beat — layering piano, electric guitar, and the famous eastern philosopher’s quote — Graffiti Welfare’s track is a fitting introduction to an album exploring nostalgia, energy, and reincarnation. In “To Be It”, George doesn’t just showcase his talent as a producer and composer, but truly takes listeners on an exploratory and cathartic journey, reminiscent of Tame Impala’s seminal work “Lonerism”.
In the course of recording the album, the artist suffered the loss of his grandparents, leading him to search for deeper meaning and explore ideas of continuity and cyclicality. The album art displays his grandmother listening to a seashell; the album ends with a return to the beginning, depicting life starting again and someone new listening to the seashell.
Graffiti Welfare is a Denver-based alt psych-pop artist whose music captures the essence of coming-of-age in the 21st century, conveyed through an experimental and introspective lens. His debut album, “Revolving Shores”, weaves together a narrative of uncertainty and introspection that powerfully transports and resonates with his listeners.
Graffiti Welfare’s journey as a bedroom producer began after acquiring and experimenting with a used Roland Juno-G. After moving to Colorado for grad school, he switched to producing in Ableton, and released his debut EP, “Into the Soul of Space,” in 2016. His music has since caught the attention of indie Italian record label MilleVille Music, and he has gained global traction on meditative playlists.
Graffiti Welfare has drawn inspiration from a range of artists, from Tame Impala to Pink Floyd. In “Revolving Shores”, he explores the unknown, meditates on the fleeting nature of life, and pays homage to his grandparents, who passed away during the making of the album.
Despite the lush, experimental nature of his music, he is able to convey concrete meaning. Through the use of luminous reverb and ethereal vocals, he makes his audience feel that they are floating in a psychedelic tapestry of sound, evoking a sense of detachment and dissociation. Through his transcendental music, he captures the feelings of being human: the anxieties of entering adulthood, disillusionment, nostalgia, cyclicality, and catharsis.
“There are few better ways to sonically inject a little color into your soul” (A&R Factory) than by listening to the soundscapes Graffiti Welfare has artfully crafted.
