Cold Cave - Cherish the Light Years

Cold Cave’s latest offering is less of a departure from the 80s new wave of their debut and more of a dramatic magnification. The slick synth driven pop is still here, but this time around it’s been blown up to gigantic proportions. Hammering in its intensity, the wailing guitars bombard the listener into submission with a colossal wall of sound, while frontman Wesley Eisold yelps pleas of bleak romance and destruction. Yet through the deafening melodies and apocalyptic lyrics, the music is human, intensely personal. It’s an achievement for a band to make the chaos of your soul this danceable.

Esben and the Witch - Violet Cries

Gothic, dramatic and sinister, Esben and the Witch have created the Tim Burton of albums. Guitars churn and cymbals clash with ferocious intensity, creating a haunting, cavernous experience. Equipped with a stunningly chilling wail, lead singer Rachael Davies’ vocals take these songs to new, darker places as she shifts seamlessly between themes of love, war and death. At times, however, the gothic shtick sounds a little forced, and the drones, hisses and ominous percussion takes priority over hooks. Sadly, atmosphere is no replacement for songcraft. When they get the mix right, it’s fantastic – beautiful, engaging and as scary as hell.

Magnetic Heads - You Will Tear Down Everything That Stands in Your Way

It’s not often that an Australian band captures the influences of music close to home and that from distant lands. The debut EP from NSW based five-tet Magnetic Heads evokes memories of bygone eras yet still seems immediately recognisable. Sounding reminiscent of both The Church and Echo & the Bunnymen, the magnetic heads sun bleached 12-string guitar pop couples perfectly with their extremely literate lyrics. These four tracks bring back memories of swimming in suburban pools on a Saturday, getting scorched by the harsh Australian sun, not having a care in the world.

Beats Working - Found the Sound

To stick out from the recent wave of mediocre Australian hip-hop bands you’ve sure as hell got to do something different. Beats Working’s second release has them sliding in and out of multiple genres at will, taking the traditional hip-hop formula and blending it with soul, electro and straight out rock. Jumping schizophrenically between genres is often a risky move, but Beats Working pull off seemingly impossible combinations of styles that match seamlessly with the witty wordplay. This eclectic mix mash of genres makes the format more accessible than ever, while still remaining uncompromising in its delivery.