From Australia

I got Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s second LP, Primary Colours, in the mail last week.

It’s the 41st release from the Memphis based Goner Records label. The band is from Australia. I shared a plane ride with them from Memphis to Salt Lake City last year and they were astounded by how well Americans treated them. We traded some records and they went on their way to San Francisco. They went back to Australia and proceeded to make a damn fine record.

This brings us up to date.

I always check my mailbox as soon as I get home looking for that 13″record shipping box. I get excited when I see one. I walk proudly to my front door, box in arm, open the door, put my school crap down and walk to my turntable. I open the box, pull out the records, and look at each.

I slice the plastic outer sleeve of the Eddy Current record with my thumbnail, which releases the aroma only a new record can release. I pull out the white jacket containing the record. I get excited because the record isn’t black; it’s one of the ultralimited marble grey ones. I then slap that slab of muddy wax on my turntable and dig on the sounds of one of Australia’s best.

The record spins and the needle moves and Eddy Current is in great form on this record. They love playing with a weird mixture of droning and choppy guitars, the drums are simpler on this one than the last, the lyrics are simple and effective and the drums, bass and guitar are, the closer I listen, interacting in very remarkable rhythmic ways. I listened to this record about 4 times and it’s stayed on the top of the pile.

A good sign.