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PREMIERE: Itching for some summer daze? Jump through a worm hole to your happy place with Cosmic Flanders debut EP

With summer just around the bend, Aussie artists have begun to scurry in flocks, each determined to release a noteworthy contribution to this year’s mighty catalogue before its conclusion. If recent days, weeks or months have felt like a series of vague events muddled in disarray, perhaps it’s a good time to unwind and take things a little slower, and Cosmic Flanders may be the perfect chaperones to that cause.

cosmic flanders

Cosmic Flanders rip a hole in the psychedelic scene with their debut EP, setting themselves as sonic outliers with a jam-heavy, space rock sound.

Hailing from the streets of Sydney, the high-spirited band finally dish up their anticipated self-titled EP, months after a few lavish singles surfaced across the group’s social media. Expectedly, yet not unfortunately, a handful of these singles emerge on the final cut for the EP; including the tracks Standing on the Edge and the ever romantic Bunnings + Jam.

With a total of seven tracks, Cosmic Flanders have fashioned a soundscape drenched in lush psychedelic ambiances and driven by a forthright pop/rock structure. Frankly, this is a stylistic direction that has been rehashed and abused by a surfeit of groups in the recent decade, with each effort sounding as forced and uninspired as their predecessors and predecessors before them.

Despite this, Cosmic Flanders do not seem to fit under such an umbrella; rather, the ensemble seems comfortable and exemplify themselves to be true naturals at their craft. While there are moments on this EP where it feels as though the band could have pushed the envelope beyond the security of familiarity, there were no particular tracks that felt forced or trite.

Bunnings + Jam appropriately serves as the opening affair to the EP, and rightly so. This placid tune is charmingly riddled with mild delay and rich reverb undertones, accompanied by an aptly paced drum groove serving the roll of an understated backbone.

The vocals here follow suit, providing pleasant melodic movement that ties together the sonic ambiance into one neat package. With Bunnings on your mind, its hard no to loose yourself in the thought of a fine summers afternoon accompanied by a weekend sausage sizzle.

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The track Alien couples a rhythmic bounce with a somewhat humorous subject matter: “there’s an alien spaceship in my back yard”, showcasing the bands slightly trivial angle.

Alien kicks off as a fairly straightforward rock tune, featuring downright catchy guitar licks. Despite picking up the overall energy, Cosmic Flanders still boast a psychedelic summer appeal which is amplified toward the end of Alien with a brief funk jam.

Cosmic Flanders are at their peak form when jamming away with space-rock attitude. Capo 4 is an excellent example, and remains the standout track on this EP. Despite its distinct sense of structure, Capo 4 robs the listener of any true sense of time; creating a truly enthralling listen.

The EP enviably closes with another leisurely number. Standing on the Edge is catchy as; venturing toward what sounds like a blend of modern psychedelic rock combined with 90s alternative rock vibes.

An all-round solid record back to front, give the fresh Cosmic Flanders EP a moment of your time, or better yet support them live. This Thursday the 20th, Sydney punters will have the luxury of attending the EP launch with guests Mac The Knife and the always groovy WARTT GUNN. Brighton Up Bar, be ready!