Forest of My Mind

Paul Parrish's debut is a bright, excellently produced LP filled with remarkable sunshine-dipped folk-pop songs along the lines of Donovan. Replete with flute, strings, and slight psychedelic effects, the album gets by on the strength of Parrish's songs, especially tracks like "English Sparrows," "Suzanne," and "Flowers in the Park." Each track is ripe with rainbow-colored imagery and the requisite amount of forest/meadow scenarios. You'd want to dismiss it as merely kitsch if Parrish's vocals weren't so sweet and persuasive -- in the end, you're singing along and holding hands with whoever might be near. Even the covers of the Beatles' "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and the Holland-Dozier-Holland classic "I Can't Help Myself" fail to disappoint, and instead help put the album further into a detached yet pleasant, love-struck, and extremely wide-eyed version of psychedelic sunshine pop. ~ Jon Pruett