Ernest Greene, the man behind the music of Washed Out. (Photo by Shae DeTar, Filter Magazine)

Washed Out is considered one of the founding fathers of the Chillwave movement. His first two EPs in 2009, along with releases by Toro Y Moi and Neon Indian, defined the genre. “Paracosm,” Washed Out’s sophomore full-length, released on Aug. 13, takes a slight departure from his last LP, “Within and Without,” but still rides the Chillwave.

Ernest Greene (the man behind the Washed Out moniker) continues to produce dreamy, down-tempo, atmospheric synth pop built around retro synths, drum loops and reverb-drenched vocals, but “Paracosm” sounds more like My Morning Jacket than Neon Indian. Greene dispenses with the danceability and nighttime moods of his last LP for a lazy, sunny Sunday afternoon sort of vibe.

Tonally this LP is more organic (Greene apparently opted for vintage instruments like the Mellotron for this recording). Flourishes of guitars, horns, harps, xylophones and live drums, plus found sounds like birds chirping (“Entrance”, ”Falling Back”) and party conversations (“It All Feels Right”), ornament Greene’s old-school synth melodies.

The songs on “Paracosm,” which drift seamlessly from one to the next, are dense in comparison to the minimalism of “Within and Without.” Lush layers of electronics and trails of delay/reverb will swallow up and immerse listeners in Greene’s pastoral daydream.

Overall “Paracosm” is a fantastic, cohesive album, providing an apropos soundtrack for the few remaining months of Summer. There aren’t really any danceable singles here – “Weightless”, “It All Feels Right,” and “Great Escape” are about the closest things – but this album performs better when listened to in its entirety.

“Paracosm” also shows some real growth for Greene as a composer. He’s embracing a more diverse sonic palette and putting together more succinct songs. He may soon ditch his laptop and put together a proper band. Who knows, but considering this ethereal release, and the dissipation of the Chillwave boom, it’ll be exciting to see what Greene puts out in the future.