Washed Out’s Paracosm takes listeners to a place that can only be described by well, the record’s title. Paracosm is a prolonged fantasy world which one can frequently visit via imagination, and the songs written solely by artist Ernest Greene, do just that.

This Washed Out record opens with peaceful sounds of nature – birds chirping combined with soft chimes that complement the other sounds perfectly. The album’s entirety is founded on the “vintage and varied” sounds that Vice magazine accurately describes in a July 2013 article called “Exploring The Varied And Vintage Sounds Of Washed Out’s Paracosm.”

The lyrics in the song “Great Escape,” beautifully express the desire to seek solace in imagination, especially with the lines, “Make believe the world has vanished around us/We could sneak away and not come back.”

The title track of the piece takes the beauties of imagination, musical composition and poetry to a new level. The track begins with a smooth transition from the end of the previous song and opens with an enchanting harp melody eventually layered by soft piano chords. The song serves as “a sanctuary where we can get away,” and “a place to run and hide,” as writer Ernest Greene expresses in the lovely lyrics.

Washed Out’s third studio album Paracosm is a living daydream. With other tracks like “Weightless” that provide relaxing vibes and encouraging lyrics, those who not only hear the music will listen to the words as they say to “forget about the pain” and “leave it all and start again.”