Despite not yet being a year into the project, Liquid Contours, the solo endeavour of Gold Coast based multi-instrumentalist Colby McMillan, have been quick to mark themselves as a rising name in Australian neo-psychedelia. With two singles under his belt by the end of 2021, Colby plunged into 2022 with his latest cut ‘Mental Paradise’, adding another vibrant layer to the quickly expanding Liquid Contours universe.

With its chiming guitar chords and muggy atmosphere, ‘Mental Paradise’ expands open into an unhurried groove, cloudy yet colourful as Colby’s warbling croon steers the way amidst the lo-fi haze. Although unassuming, Colby’s vocals are elusively rich as he weaves a languorous melody through the swelling instrumentation, masterfully summoning a serene dreamscape similar to the place his lyrics depict; which is, according to Colby, “the space in which someone can zone out into autopilot mode, and explore the innerscapes of their mind”.

Although anchored by the sounds of 60’s psychedelia, ‘Mental Paradise’ is as transportive as it is revivalist, and with its sedated backbeat and kaleidoscopic tangles of sound, the track plays like a much-needed getaway. Fittingly, the brand new clip does exactly this, as it takes viewers on a vibrant tour to a beach, party and picnic, each scene tinged by the same blissed out energy and radiant colours that the track evokes.

Speaking about the track, Colby shares “‘Mental Paradise’ is essentially about daydreaming. It can be a bit of an escape from the world and often I find myself there accidentally, whether at work, in a group setting or just chilling at home. This dream-like state is usually accompanied by a vacant expression, open mouth and eyes gazing off to nowhere.”