New Releases - 29/08/17

​He’s back! Back! BACK! King Krule is back and there’s plenty of other great cuts heading up this week’s new releases. On the local end of things, there’s new sounds courtesy of Lennox outfit WHARVES, Adelaide’s Workhorse as well as Sydney outfits Raindrop and Crocodylus. From further afield come Baby!, Widowspeak, The Killers and Ariel Pink. All well worth the Sponduli!

​CROCODYLUS – CHRISTIAN SYRUPS (INDEPENDENT)

Nothing better to kick off the week like a short, sharp shock of heavy riffing garage rock. Snotty and catchy to a fault, this upstart trio holds no shortage of panache. The track’s crashing licks and thunderclap rhythms see it playing out like every classic rocker should.

For those of you lucky to be in Sydney this Sunday check out their upcoming performance at Sounds of The Suburbs. 
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BABY! – BITE MY TOUNGE (YELLOW K RECORDS)

Here Orlando local Kaley Honeycutt sets sun-dazed melancholia to energetic lo-fi sonics. There’s something instantly charming to this scrappy tune. With minimal production gloss to hide behind, earnest lyrics and pure enthusiasm which carry the day. Inspired amateurism at its best and a masterclass in bedroom pop.   
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RAINDROP – ONLY HOPE (INDEPENDENT)
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Laden with ‘50s teen angst, pop shlock and light-handed psychedelia, ‘Only Hope’ is a bouncily devotional tune from Sydney’s Raindrop. Propelled by the forbeat of its longing lyricisms, the track breezes forward with lysergic ease. It’s unconfirmed whether 'Only Hope' heralds a follow up to the project’s underrated Crowded Brain EP, but we can only hope.  

WORKHORSE - NOT ALONE (TENTH COURT)

Culled from debut cassette No Sun, the jagged solos of Workhorses’ latest epic wouldn’t play poorly beside something from Neil Young circa Psychedelic Pill. There’s a sense of momentum and drifting melancholy seeping form every corner. This is music which sucks you in but pulls you out the other side. The Adelaide outfit hasn’t been in motion for too long but are certainly ones to watch. 
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ARIEL PINK – FEELS LIKE HEAVEN (MEXICAN SUMMER)

Again, Ariel Pink takes fans into his deadpan world of homespun pop. Both contemporary statement and pastiche of music past, the track’s corroded production adds to the fantasy of a music unstuck in time. Surreal and bizarre there’s as much screwball oddness as you might expect, its maybe even a little disconcerting. 
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WHARVES – LOVE DECIDE (INDEPENDENT)

Lennox’s finest have gone strength to strength in the past 6 months. With a string of debut singles catching the ear of triple j unearthed they recently landed a gig opening the main stage at Splendour in the Grass. ‘Love Decide’ continues this hot streak. WHARVES’ latest is a conquering rocker with plenty of energetic leaps. Tense atmospherics contrast with tender vocals, making this one of the best numbers we’ve heard from the group so far.
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THE KILLERS – WONDERFUL WONDERFUL (UNIVERSAL)
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The Killers rode in on the wave of the early 2000’s indie rock revival. Despite their enormous popularity they’ve never been a critics favourite. In fact, many detractors would claim they road on the coattails of The Strokes, The White Stripes and The Rapture to claim most of the spoils. But more than a decade on they persist where so many others have slowed down or faded to oblivion. The title track from their latest Lp, ‘Wonderful Wonderful’ is the missive of another triumphant return. It’s a brassy statement that these larger-than-life Las Vegans are coming in bigger and weirder than ever before.
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WIDOWSPEAK – THE DREAM (CAPTURED TRACKS/REMOTE CONTROL)

Sounding like a collision of Mazzy Star and Stevie Nicks, smouldering atmospherics overlay a countrified heartache. A sweeping burst of emotion, ‘The Dream’ it chronicles feelings of despair and desolation like nothing else. “It's a song about fleeting moments and how we let past feelings interrupt the possibility for good things to happen,” the New York outfit’s singer-songwriter Molly Hamilton shares in their press release. 

Stream or purchase Expect The Best here.
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KING KRULE – CZECH ONE (XL RECORDINGS/REMOTE CONTROL)

Putting an end to a pervading absence which began in 2013, Archy Marshall has reactivated his King Krule alias to full effect. His lonesome vocals dominate the mix, enormous and leaking with resignation. Jazzy chimes and a dragging tempo compliment the air of cool detachment. His voice a cache of emotion, Marshall meanders and languishes within a portrait of love and uncertainty. ‘Czech One'; is a defiant reminder that The King has by no means lost his cool. 
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