Algol - Wasted

Algol
​
​Wasted
self-released; 2022

4.0 out of 5

By Dino DiMuro

Algol of Melbourne, Australia was formed at Oxygen Music College in 2019, where singer/songwriter Darcy Wallace was inspired to “try new techniques and write some catchier, more interesting and insightful songs compared to (my) previous work.” Wallace wrote all the lyrics, sings lead and plays guitar on Algol’s debut EP titled Wasted. The other members are Angus Sumner and Chris Wheelright, with studio drummer Zack Krilcic recording drums for these sessions.

The band describes Wasted as a “psychedelic pop type meld of different influences all rolled into one. It has some catchy melodies with chord progressions reminiscent of the Beatles of old and Oasis or Radiohead in the ’90s. It even boasts some heavier influences at times, not dissimilar to Nirvana.” The band notes that Wallace’s voice can be rough or smooth, and primarily sits in the higher, falsetto register (at first I assumed Wallace was female, but his bearded photos set me straight) with vocal influence from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. Recording took place at Don’t Poke The Bear studios in Geelong, Australia, and is overall clean, bright and engaging.

From the start this band reminded me of another psychedelic group I recently reviewed here called The Striped Bananas. Latter-day psychedelia is a rich and fertile field that both these bands take full advantage of. “Upstream” starts us off in a more mainstream rock mode, while Wallace’s vocals carry the bulk of the melodies. He doesn’t do harmonies but at least double-tracks his voice for a nice, full effect. The guitars are both crunchy and reverb-jangly. The song has an interesting three-part scheme where things quiet down in the middle and then roar back for the conclusion. 

“Read The Room” begins sounding very much like another Divide and Conquer alumnus, the dream-pop band The Civil Union. It’s a swirly, otherworldly jangle-feast with enchanting vocals. The second half features louder, slashing guitars in a harder rock variation of the same chords. This song immediately went into my permanent music library! “Deadwood” has a smart descending chord scheme similar to the Beatles with yet more of those beautifully recorded, crystalline guitars. There’s even a section of background British Invasion Bop bop bop bop’s! 

The collection ends with the peppy, upbeat clap-along title track “Wasted.” There’s an even higher level of musical sophistication here, though you only notice that if you’re a reviewer; otherwise you’ll just float away with a huge smile. Drummer Zack Krilcic more than earns his bones here, and Wallace’s vocals are among his best. 

I loved this EP and wish it were longer, but I guess I’ll just have to wait for the next one!

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