4/5 stars
You know how they say there’s something in the water in Perth? Something that continues to reveal these amazing bands and unheard melodies on the other side of our wide brown land? Well, three-piece Methyl Ethel are no exception, and their debut album Oh Inhuman Spectacle is, for want of something eloquent, bloody awesome.
Lead single ‘Rogues’, the third track on the album, has the wonderfully familiar twang of a band like Twerps, but also something more solemn, reminiscent of The War On Drugs. The vocals are delicate, and tell an intriguing, image-heavy story. As lead singer and lyricist Jake Webb continues, you realise you’ve already leant forward, hanging desperately onto the words, awaiting the next line. This is also true of the second single ‘Twilight Driving’,one of the best tracks on the album.
‘Unbalancing Act’ is a little destabilising, but its initial free-floating beats and melodies unite and loop beautifully for the song’s duration, fading out peacefully with what sounds like bird calls and crickets.
As a whole, Oh Inhuman Spectacle is a living, breathing thing. There’s a connective tissue between all songs, be it a lyrical theme, a fleeting sound, or the sentiment. Methyl Ethel’s debut is truly addictive.
Methyl Ethel’s Oh Inhuman Spectacle is out through Dot Dash/Remote Control.
