Qualm Boocha – “Qualm Boocha”

Qualm Boocha’s self-titled track has me completely hooked with its clean production. Hailing from the legendary Poons Head Studios (where Tame Impala and Pond were born), this track is like the ideal antidote to cruise ship versions of “Sweet Caroline”. The experimental nature of the band comes through with half-speed tape recordings and guitar pedals on vocals to produce a rich, textured sound that is both refreshing and familiar.

You’ll hear the influence of the psych scene in Western Australia, but there’s something special about the way Trent-Jean’s vocals play with Emily Rose’s keys. The lyrics, composed for the most part during a tattoo session (how cool is that?), mention red ink Icarus wings and the beautiful nonsense of global wanderings.

This track deserves repeated listens as it unfolds new layers with each pass through your headphones and I truly believe that Qualm Boocha is making some of the most exciting music coming out of Australia right now so do yourself a favor and follow these folks immediately on social media, then share this track with everyone in your life who appreciates music that refuses to be boxed in or dumbed down.