Words by Kate Johnson

OUTBACK CADILLAC – ‘SLACKER’

Do you remember STORK and their iconic 2018 record Let The Boys Eat? If you’ve been yearning for similar playful lyrics and boppy melodies, then you’ll love this announcement. Chris Anthony from STORK and his mate, Ethan Macauley, have teamed up on the project ‘Outback Cadillac’ -- and it’s good stuff. ‘Slacker’ is a true-blue anthem, an instant playlist addition. It’s just so happy. The hook goes, ‘And in the moment when the track rolls off the track / There goes the slacker drifting through the outback’. Clean guitar strings pluck throughout, while thick accents narrate the slacker’s story (or lack of). Then there’s this roast: ‘You can’t take it back / Slacking with your porno mag’. The tune reminds us of a cheeky Paul Kelly track – every line paints a picture. For example, ‘Young couple, blown radiator / He could of lent a hand but he’s saving it for later’. So lad, if you’re thinking of wasting a moment, let this tune motivate you.

Listen here.

PASH – ‘TEENAGE YEARS’

‘Teenage Years’ sounds like it’s out of your high school playlist – it feels timeless, and it’s straight-up catchy. Vocalist Jett Gazley draws out the notes beautifully as he sings, ‘I spent my teenage years loving you / And now you’ve opened up my door’. It’s so passionate -- we might just change our text tone into a snippet of him singing ‘fuckin’ miss your hair’ it’s that good! Plus, we love the generous relationship between vocals and instruments: Gazley sings, ‘Thank you for the music’, which the guitar responds with, ‘do-do-do-do-do-do’. The addictive piano twinkle and vibey trumpet make ‘Teenage Years’ feel cruisy, like lunch and recess – for lack of a better comparison. PASH start out indie-pop, then transform into a jazz-funk infusion – how impressive, they’ve got it all going on.

Listen here.

NORMAL BEHAVIOUR – ‘END OF US/BAD BLOOD’

This NORMAL BEHAVIOUR track should be in a Quentin Tarantino film. It starts with some starry finger plucking. Gentle guitar notes dance through our earbuds and into our brain before a few fast taps on the high hat double this glittering sound in size. We emphasize with vocalist Kamryn Henschke as he takes a deep breath and opens with ‘I’ve been on the edge / I’ve been begging for somebody to help me’. There’s a sense of desperation which feels familiar as the track unravels around the refrain ‘I’ve seen the end of us / And I’ve seen the end of trust’. Halfway through the five-minute-thirty track, this song splinters in two. The first part feels like a fresh wound -- it’s delicate and spaced out, with the raw instruments and mad riffs reminding us of the late Jeff Buckley. The second half is what happens when that deep cut starts to heal: it’s fiery and frustrated, tight and taut – ready for redemption. NORMAL BEHAVIOUR follows some favourite punk sensibilities (looking at you, My Chemical Romance), but there’s also a country edge to this song. Just like a Tarantino flick, it’s non-linear, eclectic and razor-sharp – a genre-defying sound that needs to be heard. We’re attributing extra points for the wild shredding abilities, too.

Listen here.

WAKE IN FRIGHT – ‘HEAVEN’

If you look a little like our mascot at The Note (a young lad with a mullet), this might be the first time you’ve heard of ‘Heaven’ by Talking Heads. Good thing our mates Wake In Fright have released a cover of the ’79 classic – and it’s got us talking! The song centres around a bar named ‘Heaven’, a place where your favourite track plays all night long, and the kiss happens again and again. Take a listen – you’ll identify yourself somewhere on the what-does-it-all-mean scale. The two versions prove how tone can adjust the angle of a story. The original looks through a sarcastic lens of people’s ideologies, while Wake In Fright's version comes across as somewhat factual. We could analyse this song forever – let’s email it to the high-school English department. Nevertheless, we thank Wake In Fright for resurfacing this nugget of gold. And we thoroughly enjoyed the insertion of your live-show monologue in the final minute of this recording – nice!

Listen here.

THE U-BOMBS – ‘U AGAIN’

“You Again...” is what publicans would say as The U-Bombs kept persisting with their ‘new-wave’ music, even after being banned from most venues in the ’70s. Though, as this time capsule suggests, some irreverent, rebellious, and quirky anecdotes are timeless – and just as relevant today. ‘U Again’ is one of 15 tracks originally recorded on tape in 2013, now released on their debut album Choice?. You can bop along while they sing, ‘Hey you girl / Light the flame / Heads will turn for you / And you again.’ It’s swinging, with elements of noughties punk, and raw, organic sounds (because it’s recorded to analogue tape!). But you’ve got to remember, these boys have been around the block – they’re not going to sell themselves cheap with streaming! The long-awaited debut record from The U-Bombs is available on ubombs.com, or hold out to buy it on 12” vinyl, available soon.

Listen here.