by Chris Familton

Melbourne garage rock renaissance man Mikey Young has his hand in a plethora of projects both as a producer and as guitarist in Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control. Here Ooga Boogas expand on the sound of the last Total Control album by taking a trip into new wave, 70s punk and the type of agitated funk that everyone from Talking Heads to LCD Soundsystem have excelled at.

They retain the rawness that has come to personify a big part of the Melbourne scene but also given it an added sheen often generated by synths and organ. This is an art rock sensibility applied to garage rock where pastiche is celebrated and the groove and rhythm of the music is the key driver. Opener Circle of Trust dances like a malfunctioning robot while FYI recalls the malevolent undercurrent of the sadly missed Rocket Science. Sex In The Chillzone blisses out for ten minutes, sounding like James Murphy getting down and dirty with Donny Benet. It all adds up to an intoxicating blend of strangely alluring, disparate musical ideas.

this review was first published on FasterLouder