The Traces of Sugar EP is a delicious, psychedelic trip delivered by Brisbane indie-rockers, Lighthouse Mouse.
Lighthouse Mouse is an indie-rock band hailing from Brisbane, who established themselves on the beginning fringes of the global coronavirus pandemic. Over the past years, they have been busily chipping away at their debut EP, Traces of Sugar with their beloved producer, Dan Sugar.
Having to work the EP schedule around isolation restrictions and the severe weather crisis, they finished Traces of Sugar in February this year. However, they’ve been continuously tinkering and tweaking the EP until now! Traces of Sugar is a five-track EP that showcases Lighthouse Mouse as being one of the best new indie-rock bands to enter the Australian music scene.
Traces of Sugar opens up with their high-energy track Danny, brimming with delicious psychedelic guitar riffs and melodic textures that propel you into the storyline of meeting a friend who positively impacts your life. Danny is a feel-good track with vibrant beats, and has an infectious chorus that will get stuck in your head for days on end.
Dropping away from the positivity fuelled track is Oyster Lights, which follows the woes of dating and the struggles of connection. Oyster Lights still upholds the psychedelic dance vibes, with fuzzy synths and intricate over-the-top shuffling that mimics the nervousness and anxiety of dating.
Salamander In The Sun continues with fuzzed-up guitars and vibrant beats. With a funky, bouncy bass line that aids the storyline of watching one of their friends become too loose when it comes to getting on and going out. The track follows the disarray with goofy lyrics and producer Dan showcasing his famous teeth-clattering skills, adding extra flavour to the track.
Continuing on with the high energy and vibrancy is their track Should I Go. It delves into the awkwardness of running into your ex unprompted. With a dreamy vibe of psychedelic guitars that suddenly halt once he hits the encounter, a funk guitar line takes over, racking up the intensity of trying to escape the situation.
The final track on Traces of Sugar is Smalla, ending this EP on a high note. The track encapsulates Lighthouse Mouse’s style and sound wholistically, with their iconic punchy bass line and fuzzy guitars. Smalla is all about the simplicity of love and overcoming hurdles in a relationship, carrying an overarching “love conquers all” vibe.
Trace of Sugar is a psychedelic indie-rock dream, with compelling tracks that immerse you into the storytelling with vocals and infectious melodies. Lighthouse Mouse may have only just started their journey in the scene, but they are going to quickly make a name for themselves with their debut EP.
You can catch Lighthouse Mouse at their Traces of Sugar launch on Sunday 20th November at the Blackbear Lodge in Brisbane, buy tickets here. Pre-save the EP on Spotify here.
