- CRUX delivers expertly controlled chaos and instantly catchy punk from the proverbial ‘90’s garage straight to your prefrontal cortex. Listeners who steep regularly in the uninhibited realms of lo-fi rock, as well as those who usually keep a modest distance from the fun will find themselves drawn like moths to the frenetic flames kicking & licking their way off the newest release from Melbourne’s four-piece powerhouse, Synthetics.
For those unacquainted, Synthetics is the unholy union of Ash Wyatt (Red Red Krovvy, Ubik), Emma Dunstan (Hi-Tec Emotions), Pete Bramley (Vacant Valley, Telekenet) and Steve Patrick (Thug Mills, Magic Dirt). As an accomplished bunch of musicians, they have traversed the fecund and ever-mutating antipodean punk landscape in separate projects which span post-punk, industrial, new wave and straight-up rock’n’roll. In CRUX, their debut, six-track offering, they offer up the best and tastiest morsels foraged on these previous sonic adventures. In less than thirty minutes your senses are exposed to a caustic concoction of ‘90’s garage, lo-fi punk and schmick industrial influences which, yielding to the band’s firm grip and craftsmanship, come out excitingly refreshing and raw.
CRUX opens with Steve Patrick’s chugging bass making its presence felt, as the heaving, fuzzed out motor at the heart of the album. Its pulse and pace keep our attention locked on, as the rhythms both careen off-road into strange territory and reign the tracks back in when they threaten to spin out of control completely. Pete Bramley's guitar tone drills away constantly almost nigglingly at your cerebellum over the entirety of the album; yet you find yourself not caring one bit. It’s a welcome buzz & gnaw that gives CRUX one of its most defining sounds. The guitar work is underscored by Ash Wyatt’s thundering time keeping on percussion, which pulsates and blasts deeper in the mix. There is a fine balance struck between the angular riffs and the crashing drums: a tug of war particularly notable and enjoyable on the tracks Skin on Skin and Sweet Nothings. With the instrumentation accounted for, Emma Dunstan's vocals cut through like a blindingly bright chandelier swinging loose above a raucous house party (one where the Saccharine Trust, Scratch Acid and PJ Harvey records are well worn-in).
Dunstan's lyrics, delivered with howling ferocity, span from interpersonal confessions to critique of societal injustices and provide the album one of its most engaging attributes. Exploring these entangled issues doesn't distract from the sheer force of genuine enjoyment which CRUX constantly exudes: it’s concise, chaotic, but above all, its pure fun to listen to. This enthusiasm towards enjoyment is reinforced by the perfectly lo-rez clip which accompanies the first single off the album Nowhere To Go. Shots of sun-drenched suburban shenanigans play out while a smirking, dancing Dunstan demands the focus through the use of a (much appreciated) homemade green screen. It’s great.
Those of us whose interest was arrested by Synthetics’ 2018 work on the Carrie / Don’t Throw Your Life Away 7” will be giddy with sensory overload listening to CRUX. The sound of the album warps under the kinetic heat of its own momentum and brings the best of this band into sharper focus. For new listeners, buckle up, you’re in for one wild ride.
-Dominique Furphy.