by Conor Lochrie (@conornoconnor)
Veteran Melbourne band EXEK are acutely aware that post-punk doesn’t need to be so austere, so self-indulgent. On their new album, Good Thing They Ripped Up The Carpet, they fully embrace the weird, the songs full of intriguing leftfield instrumentals and curious lyricism. Along their exploratory way, they touch on dub grooves, krautrock-inspired rhythm, and space rock vocals; it’s a welcome collection of unabashed individualism.
The record is essentially split into two: side A features newer EXEK songs, some not even released, while side B contains older works, songs that have already been included on other compilations, 7” records, and on other people’s releases (some even date as far back as 2015). It’s testament to their consistency, then, that there’s really no discernable difference in quality or vision between the two halves.
It starts with “Palazzo Di Propaganda Fide,” taking its name from a beautiful palace in Rome. Singer Albert Wolski bursts into life with a quirky vocal that recalls Martin Newell from Cleaners from Venus, before an ominous buildup leads into a cavalcade of wonky and strange synths. The rest of the record is heaving with synths too, played with venom in “Lottery of Inheritance” and playfully climbing in “Too Steep A Hill To Climb”.
“Brittle Relatives” has a softer tone than the songs surrounding it, feeling like the sound of sunrise on an alien planet as the blinking ambient beats awaken very slowly. The ironically-titled “Orthodox” then boasts an unorthodox fuzzy menace that immediately undoes the simple beauty of the prior track.
When they do delve into other territories, they’re usually successful. “Several Souvenirs” is a deceptively delicate pop song, with a melody that grows in surreal strength after several listens. “The Theme From Judge Judy,” an endearing homage to the TV show of the same name, is dub-inflected, with a big bassline and repetitive beats (“people are real, the cases are real,” Wolski mutters). Elsewhere, EXEK show themselves to be no slouches at krautrock buildup, their songs deliriously floating on a crooked journey, particularly in “Four Stomachs” and “The Plot”.
When so much post-punk and its beneficiaries are self-serious currently, EXEK’s playfulness and inventiveness is to be appreciated. They favor unconventional atmospheres over profound and pointed songwriting and it’s what makes their album such a deliriously exciting trip.