Out now, our review of "Wastelands" the latest EP release from Aussie post-punk rockers Destrends
We get loads of music come past the desk here at LiveWire Music, some well known artists, some up and coming and then some that are completely new to us. And it’s the completely new stuff I always look forward to the most, because it’s always new, different. You have no preconceptions or bias and sometimes you find something amazing !
So along comes the latest EP “Wasteland” from Australian post-punk / indy rock band Destrends which was released on 1 May 2020 on Bread and Butter records. Consisting of singer Matt Savage, with Billy Watts and Liam Burgan, Destrends are a post-punk collective with a heavy bass driven sound influenced by early 80’s new wave but with a almost goth like punk feel.
The first track ‘Missing People’ hits you hard right off the mark. Fast, heavy guitar driven track. It’s loud, vibrant and passionate in equal measure, but is also danceable. It has some great gritty hooks with wonderful almost sneering voclas. It certainly got my feet tapping and singing along out loud (not a good thing lol) to the chorus.
Next up we have the title track ‘Wasteland’ is fantastic, and has a great jagged guitar beat running through its core. It really shows off their humorous side at times as well in the vocals. This continues into the third track ‘Peaches’ where the humour lets rip with it’s almost non-sensical lyrics. ‘Peaches’ shouts out at you from the speakers and is underpinned by a punchy bassline and sharp guitar riffs, which reminded me a little of the B-52’s.
The final track is ‘Medication’ and is a tour de force. Over the top melodic punk it’s a political climate change warning about our times and of an impending post-apocalyptic dystopian future. Despite its theatre (wonderfully demonstrated by the Mad Max style video) it is a highly intelligent track, looking at the apathy in modern society just “Take your medication… No time for the World outside” and warns that the future is inevitable as “the dream is over, the dream’s been spent”.
As I said at the start, sometimes something new comes along that really grabs you, and for me that today, is Destrends. It’s new, it’s fresh, and delightful. It gets your pulse racing and your heart pounding and your feet tapping.
This is one of the best, most enjoyable discoveries for some time. Highly recommended and worth a full 5 Mic score from LiveWire. Known for their theatrical live performances, I hope we get to see them live in the UK sometime soon.
Enjoy !
