3 out of 5

Label: Death Ray Records

Produced by: Lochie Noble

A mesmerizingly impressive if kinda rough debut, The Spectre Collective’s Paleofuture feels ever so slightly left of being focused, or polished, and that is what prevents it from being a home run, but is also admittedly what gives it tons of character, and – with personality and talent bursting those seams – clearly marks the band as something special.

While the group’s psychedelic haze and folksy singing remind of King Gizzard, Spectre Collective are firstly less rollicking and showy – not a knock against KG by any means, but it is (or has been, for notable releases) part of their brand – but then differentiate from the league of bands plying that throwback sound by blending the strumminess with an almost krautrock backbone, and curiously narrative lyrics that trawl through, at a glance, fittingly drug-fueled imagery, but then also talk of other worlds and children slaughtered by demons. It’s pretty wacky stuff.

…Stuff that doesn’t necessarily come into focus, fully – it feels like we’re just getting a glimpse of the world Will Agnew is speak-singing about – and that, musically, we can get distracted from when the loose jangle becomes a bit too loose, with the group stepping over each other to keep the beat. Again, part of this is charming, and is an appreciated impulse, as when this sound gets too zipped up it would / could easily lose the unsettling undertone that gives Paleofuture an edge; it just veers a bit too far off course to hold the spell.

It’s also a pretty short experience, lacking what feels like a proper conclusion. In its place, we get a bonus track – Pissed Uncle – which is a pretty glorious jam track, but it’s exactly that: a jam, and more in line with the KG vibe. So I understand I should be considering it outside of the album itself, but it’s there, and given how the title track and thirty second coda don’t feel like a really effective ending to the journey, it’s hard not to want to put Pissed Uncle in that spot.

Even with these criticisms, though, the general sound and vibe of Paleofuture, and The Spectre Collective, stick in yer mind, with the pulsing sound and enveloping, slightly unnerving melodies hanging around as hummable tunes, guaranteeing return listens for this album, and what’s to come.