Today marks the release of Packaging, the collaborative debut from Packaging — the new project combining Daniel “Connor” Birch of Flaural and Daniel Lyon of Spirit Award.
From the first track “Always Calling”, the album sweeps you into a lush, swirling space of krautrock pulses, psychedelia, and electronic breadth. No mere side project or experiment, Packaging forges a distinct sonic identity — part hypnotic motorik drive, part shimmering dream-pop, all woven with an open mind.
Tracks like “Running Through the Airport” push the pace: dense drums, warping vocals, and melodies that ripple in and out of focus. Glide Magazine called it “urgent psychedelic rock with palpable melodies.” Meanwhile, the more atmospheric cuts — “In Your Pocket”, “On Holiday” (feat. Sugar Candy Mountain) — show the duo’s ability to suspend time and cultivate space.
Birch and Lyon haven’t simply merged two existing styles; they’ve created new intersections. The production balances spacious arrangements with intimate detail. Moments of calm are contrasted with surges of energy, giving the album a breathing, evolving quality.
If there is a critique, it’s that occasionally textures drift too far into abstraction, making the hooks vanish beneath the haze. But perhaps that’s part of the point — this isn’t music that reveals everything at once. It rewards patience, listening forward and listening again.
Rating: 8.3 / 10 — A strong debut that feels alive and alive to itself, fully committed to its own strange gravity.
Links:
Packaging on Bandcamp: Packaging.bandcamp.com
Album info / pre-order: available October 10, 2025