Under the title of Invisible Dears, Thomas Baud mixes a strange and heady brew. It is part post-folk, part neo-psychedelic, part retro and nostalgic, part futuristic and forward looking, part dream like and part driving and anyone who can do all of that in just one song is someone who you really need to get to know better. If Syd Barrett’s story had been a less tragic one and he had carried on making music, this is the sort of sound I imagine he would have gathered around him.
But whereas Barrett would have arrived at his musical destination through a series of random accidents or via belligerent non-conformity, Baud’s approach seems much more deliberate, intricately planned, deftly crafted and purposeful. Barrett would have sprung his version on you as a joke, which only he was on the inside of, Baud, delivers his with not only fine precision but also a knowing wink. If one song can cover so much ground imagine how great a full Invisible Dears album is going to be.