B-Side Guys

San Diego’s Monarch understands that psychedelic rock’s greatest asset isn’t distortion or volume—it’s architecture. “Moving Through a Dream” constructs spaces that feel both infinite and intimate, each instrumental layer adding another floor to their sonic cathedral.

Sonny Yates’ synthesizer work provides the track’s gravitational center, his leads weaving between melody and texture with impressive restraint. Rather than overwhelming the mix with cosmic flourishes, he creates atmospheric scaffolding that supports the band’s collective vision. Dominic Denholm’s vocals float through this landscape like guided meditation, his delivery suggesting someone who’s genuinely experiencing the dream state the title promises.

The rhythm section of Matt Weiss and Andrew Ware maintains something crucial: momentum without urgency. Their interplay suggests they’ve spent considerable time learning each other’s instincts, creating the kind of locked-in foundation that allows the psychedelic elements to soar without losing coherence. This is progressive psych that progresses purposefully rather than aimlessly.

What distinguishes Monarch from countless other psychedelic revivalists is their commitment to song structure. “Moving Through a Dream” feels composed rather than improvised, each section flowing logically into the next while maintaining the genre’s essential sense of exploration. The “epic harmonies” promised in their description materialize as genuine ear candy—layered vocals that enhance rather than complicate the track’s emotional core.

Southern California’s musical DNA runs deep here, but Monarch avoids both the Beach Boys’ sunshine optimism and the Doors’ darker mysticism. Instead, they occupy middle ground: psych rock that acknowledges both the beauty and strangeness of altered consciousness without fully committing to either. Sometimes the most honest thing you can do is admit you’re not sure where the dream ends.