ALBUM: And Now For The Whatchamacallit // ARTIST: Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
Bust out the creamy butter and hallucinogenic honey - the psychedelic thinking man's crumpet Psychedelic Porn Crumpets today officially release their long-awaited third full-length 'And Now For The Watchamacallit' - and damn, it's a woozy wonderland.
Hailing from Australia's unofficial capital of exotic sonic whimsy, aka Western Australia, the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets lads have steadily cleaved their psychedelic brand and risen the ranks of the explosive Aussie psych-rock world. And while they've never been one to lurk in the shadows, their latest outing 'And Now For The Whatchamacallit' certainly expands their sonic territory and dives in with a renewed energy and colourful gusto from the Perth quartet.
Starting out with two of its lead singles, 'Keen For Kick Ons' and 'Bill's Mandolin', And Now For The Whatchamacallit' kicks off with a spring in its step; bluesy guitars creep beneath scuzzy modal melodics in the former, while 'Bill's Mandolin' marches itself along with gritty, glistening overdrive and raw vocals.
BILL'S MANDOLIN (PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS)
Despite the seemingly niche overarching genre that permeates the album on a whole, there's a surprising amount of textured variety, from popping, groovy sweeteners ('Hymn For A Droid', 'Digital Hunger') to full-blown 60s sonic acid trips ('Native Tongue', 'Dezi's Adventure') and hazy rock anthems plucked straight from a surreal parallel universe ('When In Rome').
A significant highlight traipses through the swirling textures in the form of 'Social Candy', marking perhaps the group's most assured performance as they delicately tip-toe the line between psychedelic flavours and sturdy, memorable songwriting; it's a madcap, offbeat wild child that is also surprisingly perhaps their most "mainstream" creation in this kaleidoscopic sonic fantasy.
SOCIAL CANDY (PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS)
For anyone who has caught the PPC boys live in action in the past, it's no secret they are one of the most endearing and amiable groups kicking around the scene at the moment. But as this latest release indicates, the method to their endearing vivacity and infectious tunes is one laden with razor-sharp focus and sparkling technicality - not only can these boys write a heckin' good tune, but they've grown into truly being able to faithfully capture their unique sound in a recording without losing their heads in the rabbit hole of swirling, crunching textures.
The most exciting aspect of seeing a band like Psychedelic Porn Crumpets continue to thrive is not just that their success has eclipsed the shock-value of their very memorable name; but rather that they have firmly showcased that psych-rock and Aussie rock in general are ones to be taken ecstatically seriously, and the glittering, whimsical gem that is 'And Now For The Watchamacallit' is a very flourished feather in this group's already exceedingly talented sonic hat.
THE BRAND NEW ALBUM 'AND NOW FOR THE WATCHAMACALLIT' FROM THE DIVINE PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS IS OFFICIALLY OUT IN THE WORLD NOW.
PLUS! YOU CAN CATCH THE PPC GENTS LIVE IN ACTION NEXT MONTH WHEN THEY RETURN FROM SOME HUGE OVERSEAS SHOWS. FOR ALL THE PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS INFO, HEAD HERE.
BY TIANA SPETER