TEENS have been prowling the dark and wild recesses of the southern state of lutriwita/Tasmania for nearly a decade and have emerged into the sunlight with their swaggering single ‘I Am An Art Prize’: a cacophony of attitude and fuzz that is absolutely enchanting. The form is angular, the delivery passionate and the overall effect is as if The Cramps engaged in congress with the Pixies and a maelstrom.
A muscular ambulant bass provides the bedrock for the fuzzy chiming guitars before the ominous dark vocals enter the fray – distant, observant, slightly menacing – maybe I’m not real without you here. The song rests momentarily at one point into an ambient lull before flaring up again like a bush fire. It’s pulse-quickening stuff and a refreshing blast of post punk attitude.
The accompanying video, directed by drummer Alex Davern, is just as faintly unsettling and surreal, like some found footage of odd behavior undertaken deep in the dark brooding gothic-horror forests of the southern state:
‘I’m An Art Prize’ is out now and available to download and stream through all the usual sites. It comes off the band’s forthcoming self-titled album which can be pre-ordered through the link below and will be released in the coming months:
Written between 2020 and 2023 in a practice room at the Royal Hobart Showgrounds, the album’s conception was juxtaposed with the tragic situations of folks forced to reside in tents and caravans within the same facility, as a direct consequence of the region’s housing crisis.
You can catch the bad live as well, launching the single at Launceston’s Royal Oak Hotel on 5 April , where they will be joined by Wöølworths\\Flushot and Hunks (tickets here), and at Hobart’s Polish Club on 13 April, with support from The Stan Show and INTERIORS (tickets here).
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