‘The Tree That Broke The Cement’ by Pink Skies

Pink Skies has developed a spacey synth-pop sound, making him both a streaming darling and a dynamic live performer in recent years. On his latest album, the Cali cosmonaut offers new delights – and plenty of surprises.

Oakland artist Pink Skies has released a deluxe version of his new album, The Tree That Broke The Cement, as he continues to be one of the most exciting artists offbeat indie-pop offers.

The artist, who has produced for the likes of 6LACK, Khalid, Saint JHN, and Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley in recent years, has shared four studio albums to date. With each release, he has leaned further into a distinctive, ambient synth-pop sound. But, even as he does so, he consistently demonstrates that he can always find inventive ways to keep his massive fanbase guessing.

The album’s title track is an excellent example of this. ‘The Tree That Broke The Cement’ veers between a trippy indie-synth song and a pumping dance track without settling firmly into either territory. The follow-up track ‘Thinking About Stuff’ sounds like a Charli XCX pop song – but reshaped and revarnished into an ambient house track. Elsewhere, songs like ‘Cocoons’ and ‘Reality/Nostalgia’ arrive at the crisp, psychedelia-pop of Tame Impala (Sure, Kevin Parker has been much imitated in recent years, but Pink Skies is one of the few musicians out there who genuinely competes for TI’s vicelike claim on the psychedelia genre).

Later, ‘Honey For The Bears’ offers listeners a textured, nostalgia-dripped, warm blanket of a ballad, with surprisingly touching lyrics that cut through the ethereal soundscape and go for your emotions. (The album’s ninth song, ‘Cloud Signs,’ acts as a companion track to ‘Honey For The Bears’, with attendant wistful nostalgia.) Meanwhile, songs like ‘4 Letter Words’ show that Pink Skies is just as adept at penning catchy choruses as he is at constructing sprawling synth tracks.

Speaking about his music and the work that went into making The Tree That Broke The Cement, Pink Skies revealed: “I make most of my music from my studio in Los Angeles these days. I always try to push the boundaries of what I think is possible within sonics; it all comes from a place of curiosity. I don’t think much about what I’m doing; I go for it and work until it feels good and I like it.”

This innate curiosity has helped Pink Skies find his genre-resisting sound. He happily cites everything from pop to obscure dusty records as being influential. “I have a deep love for classic pop songs and lots of rock and classical music,” he says, “so that all comes together in some cosmic gumbo. My go-to instrument is the guitar, but I also love experimenting with bass and drums. Plus, lots of synths or whatever is laying around.”

The highly anticipated ‘The Tree That Broke the Cement Deluxe Album’ was released on Friday, March 1st, and features an eclectic mix of octane melodies and fervent lyrics with new tracks such as “Last Night on Earth,” “Little Games,” and a future-boyfriend remix of “Reality/Nostalgia.”

Pink Skies is currently on tour, captivating audiences across the West Coast with their kaleidoscopic live performances, taking the stage with renowned indie artists such as Undercover Dream Lovers, Geographer, and The Vices. Be sure to catch a live Pink Skies DJ set, spinning some of their popular records at the EOS Lounge in Santa Barbara on 3/30.