This is the Brighton group built around Jo Spratley, whose voice and percussive approach tie it to the Cardiacs lineage acknowledged in the credits. The band includes Jesse Cutts on bass, Etienne and Adrien Rodes on guitars and keys, and two drummers across the twelve tracks. Bic Hayes takes lead vocals on two songs, and the Cardiacs family choir recorded at Tim Smith's house appears on the closing pair.
The writing favours abrupt shifts and odd metres over verse-chorus tidiness. Guitars jag and double back, keyboards flicker in and out, and the rhythm section changes lock mid-phrase. Some tracks sprawl past six minutes, others finish in under three. The production is clean enough to hear the detail but leaves the edges raw. It was recorded in five locations over nine years, which shows in the varying drum sounds and the way certain songs feel like they were built in layers rather than captured live.
This will appeal to listeners who followed the Art Terrible Engine project or anyone who wants melodic invention without verse-chorus safety rails. The psychedelic tag fits the harmonic restlessness more than any effects or atmosphere. Not an easy listen, but that seems to be the intention.
