Premiere: Carpet Burn's Debut EP is Full of Infectious Riffs & Jangle-pop Goodness

Today we have the pleasure in premiering the debut EP from Melbourne's elaborate and eccentric garage pop group Carpet Burn.

Photo by Michael Ridley

Forming in late-2019, the Melbourne-based quartet Carpet Burn have just released their debut EP, I Can't Believe It's Not Carpet Burn, which typifies the rock edged, ramshackle sense of "throwing everything at a wall and seeing what sticks." The group is double-headed by Kayley Langdon (Blonde Revolver) and Tam Richards-Matlakowski (The Stevens, Tam Vantage, Girlatones, Permits), while rhythmically backed by Amada Monteiro (Gutter Girls) and Louis McDonald (Plastic). Mastered by Max Dowling, the new four-track EP is jam-packed with the quartet's deadpan humor, wonky melodies and a quirky, but charming songcraft.

The earwormy opening track "Evergreen Home Loans" establishes the group's clever, easy-going style that's tangled with jaunty guitars and driving rhythms. There’s a clear ‘60s garage pop edge to the group's structural twists that's imaginative and at times obscure. Like on the swirling carnival-esque "Ghost," Carpet Burn displays adventurous psych-pop with rich melodies that's reminiscent of Syd Barrett-era Floyd and the Zombies. "Cents" is warm and inviting with its sweet melodies and whimsical organ, recalling the classic C86 style. The tongue-in-cheek lead single "Butterfinger Hands" is a carousel of bobbing melodies and dizzying turns that descend into musical chaos, capturing the shambolic spirit of Flying Nun bands.

The new EP specializes in showing off Carpet Burn's delicate DIY brand of jangle-pop and fuller arrangements, which is impressive considering the band once functioned as a two-piece with a drum machine. According to the band, the EP was recorded at a space where they record some of their other musical projects.

"We booked a space out one day in January 2020 and Tam borrowed a friend's Tascam 688 8-track cassette recorder, which we used to self-record six songs," the group said. "We recorded overdubs at home over the course of last year, Louis mixed all six songs and we ended up picking the four of the best."

Carpet Burn's wobbly and serene garage pop is injected with unique humor and sincerity, which is exactly what we need to lift our spirits during this pandemic. Unfortunately, the EP's launch party has been postponed due to current COVID-19 restrictions in Melbourne, but the group is playing a set at the Streetview Zine party on August 12.

I Can't Believe It's Not Carpet Burn is out now via Spoilsport Records.

Stream the new EP below.