Bound for road trip playlists across the country, PoorXcuse’s Goosebumps is a standout within their already brilliant new album Habitual Creatures.
PoorXcuse have released their fourth studio album, Habitual Creatures.
The ten-track project brims with sunny guitar melodies and classic rock grooves, serving as an evolution for the Melbourne three-piece who had already made their mark with their three previous albums.
While Habitual Creatures is full of standout tracks, the one we can’t get enough of is Goosebumps, a surf rock cut that effortlessly deploys staple rock and roll flairs.
Opening with fuzzy guitar strums and the kind of bass that’s destined for foot-tapping, the track rightfully forefronts PoorXcuse’s gristly vocals, delivered with an infectious sneer.
For all it’s sun-drenched moments — from the backing doo-wop harmonies to rythmic percussion — Goosebumps is also carried by a grittier edge.
There’s moments of screechy electric guitar and ascendant vocals, to the point where the track could feel equally at home in both a grungy garage or on a summertime road trip playlist.
View this post on Instagram
While PoorXcuse are clearly at home in their rock sound, they possess an ear for pop stylings that makes Goosebumps endlessly catchy.
The supporting harmonies feel purpose-built to sing along to, and the repeated refrains are designed to reach earworm status. The trio squeeze this eclectic palette of sounds within a brisk runtime, meaning Goosebumps never overstays its welcome.
While there are moments of indie rock — from guitar-driven melodies to the raw vocal performance — Goosebumps leans more toward a classic rock sound, marking a welcoming change of pace in an Australian music scene oversaturated by indie sounds.
What’s more, PoorXcuse pair the effortless feel of Goosebumps with some equally carefree lyricism.
Here, the trio lovingly express the feeling elicited from the song’s muse, the type who is “givin’ me goosebumps” and “pins and needles.”
The song paints a vivid and relatable portrait of infatuation, from the heart-skipping moment of making eye contact to the contagiousness of a smile.
For all its sonic splendour, Goosebumps never outshines the equal brilliance of Habitual Creatures more broadly, ushering in what feels like a breakout moment for the Melbourne band.
Listen to PoorXcuse’s song Goosebumps above, and album Habitual Creatures, below.
