The Buttons are back with "Medication," a sunny, freewheeling psychedelic pop album that sounds like a warm summer afternoon played back on a vintage record player. In over 10 songs and 38 minutes, Glasgow’s prolific group, with songwriter and producer David at the helm, mixes simple three-chord pop writing, infectious melodies, jangling 12-string guitars, tambourines, Mellotron textures and effects-heavy guitar work. The result is a record that’s very much steeped in the psychedelic ’60s but still sounds fresh enough for today. You can hear the classic pop and hippie counterculture influences, but there's enough personality in the arrangements to make this distinctly The Buttons. “Medication” also shows how fast the band can take a strong creative idea and build a whole world out of it after another album earlier in 2026.
The selected voyage begins with the vibrant psychedelic character of “Colours”, employing shimmering guitar textures and melodic hooks to set the album’s playful personality. It sounds and feels colorful, creating a nostalgic atmosphere without being stuck in the past. From there, “Lava Lamp” leans further into the dreamier side of the record. The swirling feel of the project gives it a hazier feel. You feel like you're walking into a room of vintage lights, soft movement, and drifting melodies. “Dig It Out!” then provides a dose of pure sunshine, one of the album’s most immediate moments of joy. It has the easy charm and effortless pop energy of classic summer albums, but the guitar work and harmonies are very much grounded in The Buttons’ psychedelic universe. Next up is “She Plays A Tambourine,” another playful slice of retro pop, with percussion driving the rhythm and adding to the sense of movement and celebration.
"Voodoo" continues that momentum, adding a slightly stranger, more mysterious element to "Medication." Here, the psychedelic influence becomes more pronounced, with guitars and vintage textures establishing a mood that is catchy yet unpredictable. It’s a mood that “Psychedelic Sunshine” reclaims some of the warmth in, the sort of carefree brightness that its title promises. The jangly guitars, melodic simplicity and old-school production touches give it an easygoing charm. Then there’s “The Acid Test”, where the album’s obsession with ’60s counterculture becomes less easy to ignore. There's a bit more adventurousness here, the arrangement seems to be taking us somewhere other than straight forward pop. Finally, “Hippy Chick” continues to keep that retro spirit alive with fun attitude and breezy energy another colorful character in an album already filled with personality.
What makes “Medication” compelling is the consistency of the vision. The Buttons are certainly tapping into a certain musical era, but the songs never feel like just reproductions of the past. Instead, David crafts a sound that is comfortable, melodic, and distinctly their own, with familiar ingredients Mellotron, 12-string guitars, tambourines, catchy melodies, and psychedelic effects. There’s an appealing looseness to the record that makes it an easy listen from beginning to end, but the strong songwriting prevents the nostalgia from being the sole point of interest. “Medication” for us is best enjoyed as a colorful escape: upbeat, melodic, slightly hazy and with enough vintage character that every return feels rewarding.
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