If new wave had never happened, then punk rock might still sound like this. But it did, so it doesn't, although word of that fact doesn't seem to have made it from London and Detroit all the way down to Melbourne, where the four guys in
Eddy Current Suppression Ring are apparently under the illusion that it's still 1979 or so. And good on them. The world can always use another blast of clattery, rusty-razor-edged, two-chords-is-plenty-thank-you punk rock, preferably recorded in crappy-sounding mono in someone's older brother's shoestring home studio. If you miss
the Stooges (which you do) or
the Germs (less likely, but possible) or pre-Factory
Joy Division, then you'll find parts and possibly all of this band's debut abrading your ears in just the right way: notice, in particular, how charmingly "Get Up Morning" gives you the mental image of pop music having a seizure and falling down the stairs. Something about "Having a Hard Time" feels reminiscent of early
Talking Heads, and "Do My Thing" staggers and stalks around the room like a zombie
Gang of Four fan with coffee jitters. Then there's "Turn Your Page," which lasts more than four and a half minutes and feels much longer for some reason. Put that in your clove cigarette and smoke it.