- The release of New God’s debut self-titled EP may just be the beginning of something truly beautiful in Australian music. The band features Dominic Byrne and Adrian Beltrame from Little Red as frontman and guitarist respectively, Richard Bradbeer from Eagle and The Worm on bass, Dale Packard of Ground Components on keys and Sam Raines on drums.

Given the sheer amount of talent and previous accomplishments from each member of the band, it is hard not to go into this record without high expectations. Fortunately, or perhaps expectedly for the most part New Gods do not disappoint. Their EP is everything a record from such experienced musicians should be. There is a great sense of reinvigorated energy as though the break from each member’s previous project has allowed them to creatively develop their sounds further.

First track, ‘Razorblades’ opens with a sensationally catchy guitar riff, drenched in summery vibes and ethereal pop rhythms. It is definitely the stand out song on the EP; the lyrics are perfectly executed by Bryne as he gives the arrangement even greater depth.

The band’s first single ‘On Your Side’ explores a problematic relationship tenuously walking the line between light and dark themes. This is yet another track with a compelling riff that grabs your attention and demands another listen.

The third track, ‘Klipse,’ is a dreamy, surfy-psychedelic song punctuated with strange choral-like outbursts and bizarrely distorted keys. It does not have a strong guitar riff as has been present throughout the EP thus far and ultimately disrupts the flow of the record. Although it is a great demonstration of the musical abilities of the band, the track just doesn’t sit comfortably within the EP.

’70 Hours,’ continues the band’s experimentation with psychedelic sounds however it does so far more successfully than ‘Klipse’ did. The song is carried by a strong base line throughout which really grounds the entire arrangement, allowing the rest of the band to build up from this rather than float aimlessly around.

In the closing track, ‘Skipping Stone,’ Byrne constructs a highly emotional, yet strangely joyous scene as he explores his own life experiences. Beltrame’s guitar riffs dominate this track to great effect; particularly at the climax of the final chorus he seems to hold nothing back as Byrne’s intensity also increases.

Vocally, New Gods is not much of a stretch from Little Red for Byrne, he effortlessly slips into the same style of song writing that brought him to fame in the first place. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this of course, they're slightly more experimental, but if we can’t have Little Red then New Gods are the next best thing.

- Clare Armstrong.