What an unusual artist, Jake Webb, the Methyl Ethel chieftain, channelling Human League and Abba while singing in a falsetto that seems not to echo any other singer. The Perth band is labelled as “psych” but I think that downplays their nervous, lush, loping sound. Not my kind of music, normally (though I adored Human League way back when), but somehow “Triage” has insinuated itself into my weasel brain. Opener “Ruiner” is piano/synth heaven, “All the Elements” subverts its low-key intro into ear candy that sticks around, and the quick piano over synth groove of “Hip Horror” somehow work wonderfully. The lyrics seem to brush across topics of love and introspection, but they’re not central to the eccentric appeal of this surprise package. Recommended as both summer road trip backdrop and study wallpaper.
Book, movie/show, and album reviews
