PREMIERE | Larry-Peace Love Yes, "Look Into the Mirror With Love"

Letting the light shine through the power of psychedelic song — Larry Yes; press photo courtesy of the artist.

When the answers feel almost as futile as the formulation of the questions, we seek something greater than the news cycles and other circular trends championed by tides of fleeting fashions. While the threads of hope spring eternal, the anxiety of real and present threats to the fabrics of our already fraught securities permeate the mind like smoky carbon monoxide car exhaust cloud plumes. Out of the brain fog we journey toward the places where we find our center. Working through the tall reeds on the path to self-acceptance, we can find a love. A love that embraces the self for who we are, imperfections, anomalies, and all. Upon taking this journey, we can be the immediate difference in our world. Connecting the love from within, that light can be cast to everyone and everything all around us. Despite the nearly helpless and bleak states of every institution we read about in our local and international papers; the simple truth is that we can be the change we want in our rocky and beleaguered realities.

Larry-Peace Love Yes, or Larry Yes for short, delivers a modern day psychotropic gospel with the transcendent and all encompassing “Look Into the Mirror with Love”. From the upcoming album Everyone On This Planet Is Family, Larry’s beacon of goodwill is reinforced with a plethora of talents including (but not limited to) Toussaint Perrault of Tu Fawning, Nate Query of The Decemberists, Garth Klippert from Old Light, Roman Norfleet of Be Present Art Group, Harlan Silverman from Comic Tones Research Trio, Lori Goldston (cellist who contributed to Nirvana recordings and much more), Thomas Deakin from Bonnie Prince Billy, Courtney Von Drehle of 3 Leg Torso, Nate Lumbard who has worked with Michael Hurley, Mae Starr of Rollerball, Mandy Morgan of Nasalrod, Allisa Lei Beymer from Time & The Bell, Josephine Foster, Elizabeth Ross, Nick Delfs, Tiziano Sgarbi, and so forth. The results are new psych dipped pastoral paeans to discovering peace and purpose. From the vision questing PDX bandleader who previously gave us Love Vibes For All Creatures Of The Universe, Larry and his merry entourage continue the voyage toward higher states of appreciation, brotherly love, and enlightenment in abundance.

“Look Into the Mirror With Love” is an invitation from Larry Yes for any and all with ears that hear, eyes that see, minds that think, souls that feel, and hearts that love. Strumming an acoustic amid a soothing assemblage of strings and sweet rocking organic orchestral execution — Larry performs against a technicolor backdrop of DIY signs that read LOVE and takes that ecstatic tie-dyed dipped energy out into the Portland streets. The energy in the visuals and lyrics is infectious and effusive, while the music is mesmerizing and moving, while feeling both understated and soothing to the most weary quarters of our collective unconscious.

Larry Yes opens up the doors of perception by asking us to gently shift our perspectives. From the most beautiful dreams we have ever witnessed to the calm and care that we can find within ourselves — “Look Into the Mirror” moves further past the looking glass toward the universes that we both know and don’t know. The philosophy of love is the answer offers a guiding light and an endearing reminder that better ways and brighter days are indeed possible. The message and motif is that an inextinguishable love exists within us, between us, and emanates from us — if we choose to let it shine.

Larry Yes shared some meditations on the song along with a message of hope:

“Look Into the Mirror with Love” is a simple reminder to love yourself and to love your other...to love each other and to love each self.

It’s hard being anyone in a body floating through space and there’s so many feelings,

Traversing cosmic planes and psychotropic trails with Larry Yes; press photo courtesy of the artist.

…But I truly believe if we love ourselves first we can love each other and our community so much more!

I’m singing this song to you as much as I’m singing it to myself!

Larry-Peace Love Yes’ Everyone On This Planet Is Family arrives May 23 via Nadine Records.

A series of release shows/installation events are slated for May 2 from 5pm to 9 pm at the Purple Door Gallery in Portland, OR. This will feature art made during the course of the album design, along with works made during the album’s creation. Visuals for all the album’s 8 songs will be presented as a “subversive sound bath experience designed for the ear, the eye and the heart.”

Live performances with the Cosmic Tones Research Trio are slated for May 3, 7pm to 10pm at the Leaven Community Center in Portland, OR.