From a shoegaze sprawl over digital forest floors—to a toy whistle, a drum circle, a distant melody that flutters in and out as a butterfly through a dream cast alley way, Kesey continues to sift through the past (and possibly the future) to retrieve the forgotten or the yet to be discovered. His latest album “Holding Hands Around the World” belongs in the same time-slipped commune as Animal Collective’s Sung Tongs and My Bloody Valentine’s mbv. As Seven Days music editor Chris Farnsworth puts it “[Kesey] treads the surprisingly fine line between experimental and pop, all with a knowing wink.” And this effect, intentional as well as subconscious, is brought not only to his latest album but also to his productions & co-productions like Greg Freeman’s 2022 debut I Looked Out and Lily Seabird’s 2021 LP Beside Myself. Noah Kesey’s palette supersizes this sonic life no matter who’s steering the wheel or shaking the fruit trees. His Magic Band sears off hairs, squeegees third eyes, and scrubs clean pores riddled with apathetic grease—side effects may include ego-death and pure joy. Having grown up in the “world peace” fixated enclave of Woodstock hippies, Noah upcycles acid washed and problematic notions with a duende that recalls genuine human connection. Him and his merry band, together, have the power to change the world.  -Noah Burton, poet & author of Clothesline Saga (VA Press)