Space Waves have been sending ripples through shoegaze and psych rock for over fifteen years now. Formed by Kelley and Sarah Bourland in Oregon, they relocated to Long Beach in 2013. On & On is their eighth album, following Delusion Days in 2019. The band’s sound blends psych swirl, shoegaze drift, dream pop shimmer and the patience of slowcore. Drummer Brandon Werts rejoins after his sterling work on previous albums Night ’Til Day and Delusion Days. Phil Cobb takes up guitar duties for the first time on record, though he has been part of the live set for years. Tavis Werts guests on trumpet for the closing track, giving the finale an soulful glow.
The record moves between shadowed psych tones and moments of light. Recording was split between the bands home studio and the renowned Jazzcats Studio in Long Beach California. This has resulted in lending an open and immediate quality to some of the tracks. Conversely the vocals often feel submerged, as if coming from another room. Guitars bend, chime and shimmer while bass and drums give the songs quiet weight.
Let’s dive in and see where the album takes us.
‘Fall’ is a brooding opener built on dense guitars. Reverb lingers on each chord, creating a thick atmosphere. Vocals are restrained, almost whispered. It draws you into the mood and keeps you there. I love how the flashes of guitar in the chorus take me back to classic 60’s psychedelia but the rumbling verses drag us whooping and hollering back to the future. It’s a strong opener and locks you in for the ride.
‘Keep Away’ slips in with a descending chord pattern that almost makes you lean back and exhale. The lyrics feel like a quiet request; a personal bubble extended to the listener. The guitars loop steadily and patiently, and I found myself noticing every micro shift in the percussion. That steadiness in the guitar allows everything else to really shine. Great track and some very cool production choices too.
From there, ‘Folding Chair’ keeps that introspective energy but adds a touch of lightness. Guitars both vibrate like healing energy and scream into the ether. The mood is still reflective, but there’s space to breathe, to watch little details move in the background. It’s easy to get lost here, and I did, caught between the organ, swirling feedback and the thoughtful lyrics about finding calm in your own corner of the world.
Then ‘Repair’ arrives and slows everything down. It’s a ballad in waltz time, soft and elegant, with guitar slides that feel like silk brushing against skin. The chorus lands in a way that makes your chest lift, but quietly, subtly. You can almost imagine the band leaning into one another in the studio, letting the song find its shape naturally.
The energy shifts with ‘Something Spinning Fast Through Outer Space’. It’s playful and bright, bass running little laps beneath shimmering guitar lines. The lyric about an orange light flashing around jumps out, a moment of weird wonder drawn from a real-life experience in Portland. As someone who has also seen a UFO I totally get the band’s eyes wide open wonder spilling into the song. Incidentally the colour the band chose for their vinyl comes partly from a line in this song! See if you can spot it!
‘Creepy Creeps’ is brief but lively, the guitars flicking and bouncing with a mischievous energy. It reminds you the band can still be cheeky, playful even, after years of perfecting their introspective side. It sits perfectly after the cosmic swirl of the previous track, giving your ears a little shock of movement. This is about as immediate a pop song on the album there is. In the chorus you can imagine a 50’s girl group track swathed in fuzz. Love this!
By the time ‘Eyes Floating By’ rolls around, you’re totally immersed in this new world. Sparse and spacious, it hovers in the air like a quiet observation post above everything. The vocals pull you into this half-alien perspective that questions the human view of the world. It’s one of those songs that makes you tilt your head and wonder what it would feel like to float through space and still feel your heart thump in time with Earth below. The guitar cycles hypnotically swathed in reverb and static. Are these the last signals of a lost civilisation from across the cosmos?
The title track, ‘On & On’, feels like a walk you wish would never end. Guitars catch the glow of sunset, the lyrics painting pink and orange skylights. It carries the sense of being both observer and participant, and the experience feels cinematic yet intimate. It’s playful and reflective, bridging the album’s lighter and darker moments effortlessly. For me, this is the most psychedelic moment on the record and I get lost in the guitar jam each and every time.
Finally, ‘Stages’ stretches out like the closing scene of a film you didn’t want to end. Tavis Werts’ trumpet cleverly curls through the guitars like smoke in the twilight, and the vocals drift softly on top. It’s patient, calm, and leaves you feeling suspended, the way only a long, carefully constructed record can. There’s warmth and sadness intertwined, and the slow fade leaves a trace that lingers on your skin like a memory.
On & On moves like a stream through day and night, past quiet reflections and bursts of colour, all held together by the band’s decades of experience. Every track has a purpose, every pause matters. There’s an intimacy that makes you feel like you are wandering through their world, catching glimpses of moments you weren’t meant to see. Space Waves have crafted a record that invites you in and won’t let go, leaving you thinking about light, space, and the gentle turn of the world around you.
On & On is out now via Mindwave on stunning coloured vinyl and CD. Follow the band on the Space Waves Bandcamp page.
You can follow Space Waves on social media here…
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