Did you know that even after centuries of practice we have no idea how acupuncture works. It does seem to work to some degree, but no one has ever been able to put a finger on why. All we’ve got to go on is that applying the right pressure in the right places can somehow relieve all the strain and tension that’s built up over time. Listening to the new track from Kentucky quartet Phourist & the Photons feels like finding that same phenomenon in musical form. ‘Are We Villains?’ feels blissful and enchanting in ways that I can’t quite wrap my head around, but the results speak for themselves; it’s a track that works to unwind and unravel all the stress weighing down on your weary bones. The idyllic psychedelic expanse of its guitar sounds, the expressiveness of the bass tone, the crystalline way the piano notes ring out like falling water droplets, how the growing complexity of the drum patterns never draw you out of the daydream the song has crafted. I can’t quite say exactly how it works as well as it does, all I can offer is my best guess, that it finds the right melodies in the right moments to make everything feel that bit better.