John Beckmann’s Utopia PKWY have released their first album, ‘Debut’, today, along with a new video for ‘If I Could Steal One More Kiss’.

Beckmann has explored everything from blues and dark psychedelia to more experimental music with The Mortal Prophets. Utopia PKWY gives him a chance to pursue his love of pop songwriting, though he hasn’t abandoned his taste for unusual sounds. The ten tracks bring together synthesizers, guitars, theremin and sitar, with plenty of melody running through the arrangements.

There’s also a change in personnel, at least as far as the singing is concerned. Beckmann has stepped away from the microphone, leaving Tanner McGraw to handle the lead vocals, with Lawson Mars providing backing vocals. He wrote and produced the album himself.

The new single, ‘If I Could Steal One More Kiss’, is about wanting to return to a particular moment with someone, knowing that time has already passed. Memory and the way people change are recurring concerns on the record, alongside a rather more playful side of Beckmann’s writing.

We’ve been following Utopia PKWY since ‘I Knew You Would Be Trouble’ appeared in July. We also spoke with Beckmann in August about ‘Sleep In Moving Colors’, astral projection and his approach to recording. Both songs appear on the new album, along with ‘Nothing Is Missing’ and seven further tracks.