SPRING ALBUM ROUNDUP : COSMIC RAIN

“CRASHING DREAM.” Rain Parade. Island.

Tipping its hat to ‘60s folk and psychedelia, this L.A.-based band has managed to rise above the so-called paisley underground with its wispy, sometimes sleepy melodies. On its major-label debut the band’s pseudo-Oriental spaciness (droning guitars, thunking bass, measured drum beats) is engaging, but the lyrics written by Paraders Matt Piucci and Steve Roback tend to drag down the complete aural experience these guys seem to be going for. The bulk of the songs hover in the “wow, this is so cosmic” realm, particularly “Sad Eyes Kill” and “Fertile Crescent.” Things improve when the band returns to earth on “Only Business” and “Depending on You.”