On a vast stage, broadened by a wide stereo reach and a heavy dose of reverb, a frenzied crew assembles a grand set, only leaving their creation whole for a few precious moments before disassembling and constructing something equally as detailed, perplexing, and beautiful. The fast-moving psychedelia of Prizes Roses Rosa straps the listener in for a wild ride through a cascading kaleidoscope of quickly shifting aesthetics, a world of hypnotic rhythms, dreamy vocals, absurd samples, and an immensely varied array of instrumentation. This album plays out like a furniture store showroom, meticulously arranging a diverse collection of spaces that look absurd when taken as a whole but make immense artistic sense when viewed in sequence. In so doing, Prizes Roses Rosa create a journey without a quest, a piece that moves but not necessarily with a distinct end in mind. However, the absence of an overarching plot doesn’t make the progression feel pointless; our transit through each of these spaces enriches us, reflecting our own life as a collection of somewhat random experiences that unify behind our sense of self. In that vivid reflection of reality, To Fire Clay represents the absolute best that psychedelia has to offer: a peek behind the veil of absurdity that we fail to notice in our everyday lives.
