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Hi Sorry State readers! Hope you all enjoyed some time off and relaxed a little. I’m kinda struggling with small talk relevant to last week, so let’s just not. But it is nice to see you again!
This week I’ve been enjoying the debut EP from Phil & the Tiles, a six-piece band hailing from Melbourne, Australia. First, let’s just get something out of the way. No one in the band is named Phil. Now we can move on.
It’s definitely on brand for me to sniff out the new post-punky titles, but I was also entranced by the colorful psychedelic artwork on this one. Either way, I’m into it. It’s a fresh take on post-punk with swirls of psychedelic sounds. It also has some new wave and power pop moments, and it all works really well together.
The most buzzed about track is Nun’s Dream. It’s about a nun having dirty, filthy dreams and wakes up plagued with shame and guilt. Frankly she’s being a little hard on herself. Anyways, if you’ve heard one nun shame story, you’ve heard them all. But the vocal interplay between the singer and back up vocalist sounds good and works best on this track. Normally I’m not a fan of that unless your name is Pixies or Sonic Youth, but I gave it a few more listens and now I really like it. It’s also the most power pop song on the record and has some cool synthy moments.
Personally I enjoy the song Health/Body more. It’s the punkier track on the album and more abrasive than the others, but it’s not at all out of place. It’s for sure the right choice for an opening track. It also flows really well into the next track, Elixir, which starts out sounding kinda like a Pixies track from Doolittle. It’s the most new-wave sounding of the bunch. The closer, Trepanation, is another favorite. It shifts toward the jangly melodic pop sounds of early 80s alt rock. You wouldn’t mistake it for The Cure or REM, but there’s something in there that feels familiar to that particular transition in music.
Overall, something I enjoy about this record is that the band draws from different styles and sounds, from the synth to the psychedelic, but it’s not overpowering. It’s just enough to freshen things up a bit.
I like it. It’s cool. Give it a try.
Thanks for reading. See ya next week!
-Angela