When flicking through boxes of singles in a record store, I am often drawn to a band simply because of their name. In fact, I have discovered some of my favourite artists via this method and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are no exception. As you can likely deduce via the name, or the fact that they formed in an old horse barn after meeting each other through a shared drug dealer, the Crumpets are a fairly ‘far out’ band. Their first studio album High Visceral (released in two parts) is a brilliant exploration of grunge psychedelia, whilst their 2019 album And Now for the Whatchamacallit signified a transition towards pop rock – though elements of their original sound remained, on tracks such as ‘Social Candy’. 

The Perth outfit’s latest offering Shyga! The Sunlight Mound feels very much like a continuation of their previous album, moving from a more hardcore, grungy, psychedelic sound to a style more consistent of indie rock. That being said, Shyga! blows the previous album out the water. It feels more refined and perfected – incorporating elements of their early work whilst still creating a more pop-y sound – perhaps reminiscent of their Australian counterparts Tame Impala. Instead of selling out for more commercial success, though, it feels like this is simply an evolution in the sound of the band which can only act as a positive thing going forwards – nobody needs another Catfish and the Bottlemen churning out the same album every few years. It is also important to note that the band exists on their own label, What Reality? Records and, I mean, their name is ‘Psychedelic Porn Crumpets’ – so I very much doubt the claims that the band are selling out their original sound for a more commercially viable record.

From the first track onwards Shyga! is energetic, fast-paced, and, at times, chaotic – most notably on tracks such as ‘Tripolasaur’. There is scarcely a chance to catch your breath, it’s like racing through a tunnel of acid-induced hallucinations (much like in the beloved children’s film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). The band reportedly have a broad range of influences from Led Zeppelin to the Mighty Boosh, both of which are identifiable within this album, with many tracks featuring guitar riffs which would not feel completely out of place on a 1970s hard rock album. The latter half, in particular, features some fantastically energetic adrenaline-shots in the form of ‘Mundungus’ and ‘The Tale of Gurney Gridman’, a very welcome addition to the driving momentum throughout the album. 

Shyga! admittedly delivers some very route-one indie pop on tracks like ‘Mr. Prism’ which, although not bad by any means, is disappointing from a standpoint of musical exploration and originality. Much of what the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are doing on this album was being done by Menace Beach five years previous, so the Crumpets are not necessarily breaking new ground with Shyga! The Sunlight Mound. It does, however, show a maturing of their sound which results in some chaotically fun songs to listen to and I will still undoubtedly be revisiting this album throughout the year. 

Header image: Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Credit: Tristan McKenzie via DIY.