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Discordant slashing rock n roll, knife-edge schizo punk, swirling, staggering hipster garage rock… all apt descriptions of Witch Hats and the glorious mess of sound they conjure up on their new EP Solarium Down The Causeway.

The majority of the 6 tracks were recorded in Oakland CA in August last year and Witch Hats have done what many acts fail to achieve – transfer their live sound from stage to CD. The rush and boisterous fling of bodies and instruments is clear and present with Kris Buscombe’s voice tearing things up like the nephew of David Yow from Jesus Lizard.

Among the fractured punk are also gothic swampy undertones, particularly in the lurching evil of Fucking With The Atmosphere. The song crawls and slithers, all intent and ill at ease moodiness. They prove they are just one more chapter in the Melbourne rock n roll lineage that began in the 70s and continues with bands like Witch Hats and The Drones.

SESSA (Son Of A Silo Salesman) starts all secret spy sounding with an incessant, taut and grinding riff. It is The Fall playing out the last night of a death disco. Mid point, the song launches into the brilliantly macabre chorus of ‘Doot jack doot jack doo day oh da doot jack doot jack day’ like a slobbering drunk having a panic attack and not caring about it. It is a song most probably born out of observations of people and places as they travelled in the USA.

Bringing up the rear is I Am Parolling, a song that is the most restrained track on the EP. Musically casual, it swings and sways with a nauseous see-saw riff between verses and nicely rounds out an impressive set of songs. Live these guys are gloriously ramshackle yet always on the front foot and this EP encapsulates exactly what they bring to the rock n roll table. Bring on a new album lads.