At one point in my life I enjoyed nothing more than buying a newly released seven inch single, taking it back home and listening to both sides innumerable times while reading over the annotated liner notes and lyrics, if I was lucky enough to have found that whatever disc in particular had them included. But as I began changing addresses all too frequently, my crate of singles wound up in my mom’s closet, hopefully not lost forever under a pile of shoes, high heels and slippers. I can’t readily recall the last time that I actually purchased a single – and yeah, I do still occasionally peruse that bin at my local record dens. But there would need to be something truly exceptional in there to prompt a new purchase.

And for all of those above reasons, the Not Not Fun label, a Los Angeles based cottage imprint, is endlessly frustrating. In addition to releasing untold gems (in addition to the throw aways) in the format of a single, the label and the bands involved – everyone from Sun Araw to Magic Lantern and beyond – enjoys meandering through the ‘studio’ with a shifting array of whoever’s around at the time. Sometimes it works out – the confluence of those two aforementioned groups are proof of that. But the label also deals in Pocahaunted styled nonsense. And I can safely say, that if I’d never encountered that group, I’d be alright. However, Amanda from Pocahaunted has recently found herself in the company of some dudes from Sun Araw, Magic Lantern and Robedoor.

The results may or may not be easily guessed at as Vibes imbibes elements of each of those groups in there, but the combination of ‘em all ends up creating an unholy stew of funk, punk, psych and oddly conceived soul. The group’s Psychic, released subsequent to some uber-sought after tape, though, doesn’t reveal an ensemble searching for its center. There may have been some sonic conflict with each musician’s influences fighting it out for dominance, but the cohesive sound of the disc is surprising to say the least.

Beginning with the title track, “Psychic” features a pretty chunky bass line that easily recalls the Stooges. And as Amanda begins her caterwauling, even a scant minute into the disc, it’s pretty clear that the wah-wah guitar, tasty bass and unpretentious drumming fits together perfectly with the vocal delivery.

What makes Vibes such a surprise is the way in which the rhythm section just lurches forward into these huge breaks – side B’s “Night Court” is pretty good evidence of that. But it doesn’t end there as each track comes of as some bastard of the Temptations’ psychedelic period in lo-fi, downer fashion.

The single hasn’t made me re-figure my disinterest in the medium, but it has waylaid some fears I had associated with Not Not Fun. Surely, Psychic won’t disallow the imprint from trafficking in some future tripe, but this is a reprieve from some of the more haughty fare that the label has been trucking off lately.