MP3 of the Week: ‘Hear Martin’ by Witch Hats

Last month Melbourne noise ruffians Witch Hats released Pleasure Syndrome, their second album. While their previous output can be loosely described as manic racket meets winding dirge, the new album somewhat surprisingly finds the band exploring the realm of genuine pop tunefulness.

Don’t take that the wrong way. Pleasure Syndrome still sounds like it’s stayed up all night, been soaked in beer and dragged along the gravel in the early hours of the morning. But it also sounds like it’s been listening to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Clash.

‘Hear Martin’ is the first single from the album and a fine example of the tuneful sounds that lie within. The song was supposedly written spontaneously, played once and secretly recorded in the studio by producer Casey Rice, though listening to it you’d never know.

The keyboard driven number provides tasty rolling hooks aplenty and vocalist Kris Buscombe staggers his delivery to ‘Rock The Casbah’ like effect. A jagged guitar is used in contained and controlled stabs until eventually being set free mid-song.

Not content with a single solo in a four and a half minute tune, Buscombe unleashes a diabolical little Doors-esque keyboard solo towards the finish, which would perhaps highlight the studio tomfoolery origins of the song if it didn’t actually fit in really well.

Watch the filmclip for ‘Hear Martin’ here.
Stream and download Pleasure Syndrome here.

You can see Witch Hats playing this Saturday 17 Dec with Harmony, High Tea and My Favourite Colour Is Gold at Phoenix Public House in Brunswick.