The Vatican smoke turned white last month, and out stepped Pope Leo XIV, an American. You read that right: a Pope from the US of A. He even spent time at Villanova University, tucked away in the suburbs of Philly, where I first learned how to kneel, genuflect, and doubt everything.
I’m not a practicing Catholic anymore, but I already like this guy. Something in his eyes says he’s heard Dark Side of the Moon all the way through and didn’t flinch. Or perhaps I’m projecting my need for spiritual figures.
Anyway, here we are, May 2025, and The Third Eye has again dilated to its full panoramic bloom. This month’s collection of psych is a garden of strange flowers: you’ve got the lullaby-on-acid folk of Swimming Bell, the time-warp chaos of Messenger Girls Trio, and Australia’s doom-pop druids, Turtle Skull.
We’re bringing back the listicle format for this one—a retro nod to our dusty archives—so you can sip a little deeper from the goblet of context.
Let’s begin.
Genius Loop Duos by Messenger Girls Trio
This release from Eiderdown Records is pure mischief. The record from Messenger Girls Trio features two grown men (not three, not girls) crafting an experimental stew of ukuleles, electronics, and odd fragments that sometimes resemble traditional Chinese melodies.
Is it a prank? Maybe. Does it make sense? Absolutely not. But that’s kind of the point. Logic is for assembling IKEA furniture, not navigating the strange terrain of experimental sound.
I’ve listened to it multiple times and still can’t pin it down, but I keep coming back. It’s bizarre, unpredictable, and totally unclassifiable. And that’s exactly why it’s on the list. If you’re into the weirdest corners of the psychedelic universe, this one’s calling your name.
Somnia by Swimming Bell
Somnia, the new EP from Swimming Bell (Katie Schottland), drifts in via Perpetual Doom, a label known for its fringe-dwelling tenderness. Softer than the label’s usual oddities, Somnia is no less powerful.
Its strength lies in its serene, suspended beauty. Schottland, now based in L.A., began the project as an escape from reality, and this EP delivers precisely that. The aquatic theme isn’t just aesthetic. It’s embedded in the music.
Schottland aimed to create the sensation of sinking into water, and she succeeded. These are weightless, cosmic folk lullabies and delicate songs that hover between worlds. Each track feels like a deep breath held underwater, where everything slows, softens, and glows.
Masses by Jeremy Young
On his latest solo release, Jeremy Young dives deep into the physicality of sound. Known for his work with Cloud Circuit, Sontag Shogun, and Associated Sine Tone Services, Young trades keyboards for monophonic oscillators, ¼” tape, and amplified objects in a tactile, analog ritual of sonic exploration.
Recorded in his home lab, each note is hand-tuned and voltage-shaped, demanding slow-motion precision that borders on musical tai chi. The result is a medium-aware experience where tubes, magnets, and raw electricity take center stage.
Young’s deep listening ethos and belief in the medium as message transform this into a transmission from the hands-on fringe of experimental electroacoustic composition.
Dancing Through The Earth by Miss Mellow
Munich-based Miss Mellow returns with Dancing Through the Earth, their second LP, a deeper plunge into psych-funk and progressive grooves. Formed in 2019, the quartet thrives on musical joy, fusing kraut jams, stoner riffs, clean funk, and fuzz-drenched escapades into a sound that’s both unpredictable and danceable.
Their 2023 debut drew online buzz and praise from the German press, and on this follow-up, the band leans further into wild prog-psych territory without losing their sense of fun. It’s a joyous, genre-blending trip where every track feels like a discovery and no twist is too far out.
Being Here by Turtle Skull
Turtle Skull’s Being Here, out via Art As Catharsis and Copper Feast Records, marks a bold evolution for the Sydney-based psych outfit. Tracked live with minimal studio polish, the album pulses with raw immediacy.
Fuzzy riffs, swirling synths, and driving rhythms collide in a heady blend of neo-psych, alt-pop, and cinematic sprawl. New member Ally Gradon injects fresh energy, while the band leans into instinct over perfection.
Drawing from Spiritualized, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and Idles, Being Here balances heavy themes like social media fatigue and the weight of time with a call for presence and connection. It’s a cathartic, high-voltage trip that demands to be listened to and felt.
On Through the Sky Maze by AAWKS
On Through the Sky Maze by AAWKS is a thunderous, mind-warping ride through stoner-doom, sludge, and psych rock. Equal parts atmosphere and aggression, the album blends massive riffs with trippy textures, screaming guitar solos, and blood-curdling vocals.
AAWKS brings serious charisma to their occult-tinged sound, mixing synths, violin, and organ for added depth. The record punches hard but also sprawls into cosmic territory, balancing a sludge groove with spacey exploration.
Lyrically, it dives into paradoxes like life, death, time, meaninglessness, and meaning, turning existential chaos into molten riffage. Heavy and weirdly philosophical, AAWKS have delivered a new album that totally slays.
I hope you had a great May! Enjoy the tunes.
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