**“Garden of Our Neighbor” is taken from Goon‘s upcoming EP, Paint by Numbers, Vol. 1, out February 25.**

The LA-based band Goon has just undergone a rare early-career makeover. Two years ago, they were an indie rock band whose gritty sound stood somewhere in-between Pavement and early Dandy Warhols. In 2019, they released their debut LP Heaven is Humming to critical acclaim, and they looked like one of the most promising bands in the American indie rock circuit.

Well, not anymore. After their deal with Partisan Records fell through, Goon leader Kenny Becker decided to pull a complete 180, changing the entire lineup and exploring a mellower sound instead. The first release for Goon‘s new lineup will be Paint by Numbers, Vol. 1, an EP coming out at the end of February.

The first taste of the new Goon is an incredible song titled “Garden of Our Neighbor” which makes us think that the reboot was completely justified. Driven by a pulsating drumbeat, the song is a brief psychedelic experiment, with Becker‘s dreamy, quiet vocals standing in stark contrast to a busy instrumental of acoustic guitar and droning synth. Becker has mentioned Sparklehorse as an inspiration, and there’s also a tinge of early Grizzly Bear and The Microphones in the way the acoustic guitar melts with the noisier instruments.

“Garden of Our Neighbor” was inspired by time spent outdoors during the Covid pandemic, which accounts for the background ocean sounds and bird chirps. The song does a great job at immersing you in a sort of trippy, half-awake slumber only to pull the rug from under your feet before the three-minute mark, when it abruptly comes to an end. Watch the accompanying visuals, self-directed by Becker, and pre-order the EP via Bandcamp below.