What can we tell you about Australian outfit Ghoulies? Close to sweet FA to be honest. Not to be confused with US band, The Ghoulies, it is a quintet hailing from Perth featuring members of Aborted Tortoise and Kitchen People. More importantly, they have just released one of the most essential and joyful incitements of this year; the Reprogram EP a release which had ears feasting and the senses and psyche twisting like a dervish on a sugar rush.
The foursome of Indigo Foster Tuke (Synth/ Voice), Alec Thomas (Bass/ Voice/ Guitar), Charles Wickham (Voice/ Guitar) and Alex Patching (Drums/ Voice) cast a sound which springs its own unique traps and viral enticements but has a breath to it which suggests bands such as Devo, Cardiacs and Sparks might have been potent inspirations. Reprogram is the successor to the Flat Earth album which we have also only just discovered with the band’s new offering and is just as easy and important to recommend. Both surge through ears with a blink and you miss impact but leave deeply rooted pleasures which in the ten minutes incitement of the new EP is an itch we cannot scratch enough.
Reprogam surges through ears with B.O. to initiate the first seeds of addiction, keys and guitars forging virulence which rhythms further manipulate as vocals add their own aberrant tempting. Like being caught in a spiral of energy and insanity, the senses were swiftly reeling and ears greedy; obviously a sign of great pleasure which the following American Stut-ty as easily instigated. With slightly less urgency but as animated as mice in a New South Wales town, the song dances on the imagination with every riveting twist and turn at the band’s disposal, a tinge of early XTC adding to the fun.
As other tracks, Petey Jones’ Locker also brings a whiff of French gonzo-synth punksters The Scaners with its keys borne revelry; the track a swinging incitement within warped punk rock ferocity while The Wig sends fifty four seconds of feral trespass through ears for a just as addictive fix of pleasure. Remorseless in its attack and hook loaded tempting, the song is an exhaustive incursion fired up in old school punk defiance and greedily devoured.
The band’s merciless craft in manipulative hooks is just as hungry within NPC, bass and rhythms alone instant slavery to personal instincts which keys and guitars only escalated with their own melodic deviancy and devious hookery. Though hard to choice a favourite track, this one niggles away constantly for a spot which next up No More Bands proves is never finalised as it spills its own incessantly divergent goodness on ears and appetite.
Closing out with E.T Gnome and its wonderfully unhinged new wave waltz, Reprogram is one of those releases which lights a fire in the heart and belly and inspires renewed hunger to explore new sounds. All hail Ghoulies!
Reprogram is out now via Goodbye Boozy Records; available digitally as a name your price download @ https://ghouliesperth.bandcamp.com/album/reprogram and also out on 7” vinyl.
Pete RingMaster 21/05/2021
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Categories: Music
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