Pearl & The Oysters - Monkey Mind (Mint green) LP

"Monkey Mind" is the new album from the French-American duo Pearl & The Oysters, produced by Jonathan Rado (Foxygen, Weyes Blood, Miley Cyrus, Father John Misty, The Lemon Twigs). Although it appears cheerful and light on the surface, the album was created in the aftermath of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires of 2025 and Trump's second inauguration. The title "Monkey Mind" is borrowed from the Buddhist concept of a restless, repetitive consciousness—the duo used their own "restless thoughts" to write the album in just a few weeks, processing their anxieties through music. The album marks a departure from the slightly kitschy, spacey sound of Planet Pearl toward a warmer, more organic sound influenced by 1970s soft rock (Todd Rundgren, The Beach Boys, Steely Dan) and featuring hints of city pop and exotica. After years of crafting their own complex, home-based soundscapes, P&TO have now collaborated with producer, solo artist, and Foxygen Jonathan Rado, recording directly to tape with minimal overdubs. They also collaborated with their musician friends from Los Angeles. The result is looser and more grounded in the here and now than anything they've done before. Mint green vinyl with insert and artwork design by Juliette Pearl Davis herself.