GUM refines his sound with stunning & soulful single, “Expanding Blue”
Jay Watson, better known to the world as GUM, has always existed in the space between worlds. Whether bending cosmic pop with Pond, bringing kaleidoscopic textures to Tame Impala’s live show, or diving deep into his own mind under the GUM moniker, Watson has spent the past decade crafting music that feels like it’s breathing in color. With his new single “Expanding Blue,” his first release for King Gizzard’s p(doom) label, GUM once again stretches the boundaries of modern psych-pop into something intimate, spiritual, and transcendent.
Described by Watson as starting “like a jazz-inspired meditation” before morphing into “a lost gospel soul record,” the track feels like a celestial daydream, an effortless drift through haze and harmony. While many GUM tracks in the past have pulsed with energy and forward motion, “Expanding Blue” luxuriates in stillness. It’s relaxed, smooth, and deeply soulful, a song that moves at its own gravitational pace. The production feels alive, like sunlight passing through stained glass with every layer refracting and glowing in its own shade.
Watson’s ear for texture remains unmatched. The instrumentation here is both minimal and lush, built on silky bass lines, gentle percussion, and synth chords that seem to float a few inches above reality. His vocal delivery is tender and vulnerable, sounding less like a performance and more like a confession whispered into a cosmic void. By the time the track reaches its soulful peak, it becomes something close to spiritual, not in its lyrical content necessarily, but in its pure sense of release and transcendence.
What’s remarkable about GUM’s output is how he continues to evolve while maintaining a clear artistic fingerprint. “Expanding Blue” is unmistakably his with that mix of playful experimentation and heartfelt emotion, but it also feels like a turning point. It’s looser, freer, and more human than ever, as though Watson has learned to surrender completely to the song’s flow rather than control it. That evolution makes sense for an artist who’s spent his career balancing between collective and solo endeavors, constantly seeking the next horizon.
Coming off collaborations with Ambrose Kenny-Smith on “Ill Time"s” and his 2023 album Saturnia, this single marks a new phase for GUM, one defined by introspection and warmth rather than momentum and mania. The fact that it arrives via King Gizzard’s p(doom) imprint feels symbolic: two corners of Australia’s psych-rock galaxy now orbiting closer than ever, pushing experimental music into new, soulful territory.
At about four a half minutes long, “Expanding Blue” feels like a short glimpse into infinity, a calm within the storm of modern psych music. It’s meditative but never dull, relaxed yet emotionally charged, and proof that Watson’s well of creativity shows no signs of running dry. With this release, GUM reaffirms his place as one of Australia’s most imaginative and quietly revolutionary artists. If this is the start of his new chapter, we’re lucky to be here to hear it unfold.
Like what you read? Follow our social media and playlist for the latest in independent music:
