Busted Head Racket

Reviews

Busted Head Racket Go! Go! Go! LP

Third LP from Newcastle, Australia’s BUSTED HEAD RACKET! While Riley Gardiner takes care of most of the drumming on the album, this project is otherwise the solo effort of Arden Guff, blasting us gracious listeners with a the lo-fi bedroom sounds of farty bass, piercing synth, and cuddlecore vocals that, while playful, still ask for our attention with tracks like “Poor No More” and “Girl Anymore (I Don’t Wanna).” The songs are catchy, fun, carefree, and short, necessitating many replays. You may ask, do we need more of this thing? This heartfelt yet fun synth-driven journal entry music? The answer is yes. With a back catalog of two other LPs and a few singles/EPs, there is plenty to enjoy here, even a collaboration with BILLIAM on Genetic Southern Hemisphere Christmas from November of 2023. Go! Go! Go! will serve a variety of purposes, from not getting out of bed all day (“Anxiety”), to enjoying the freedom of the road (“Need for Speed”), to loosening up a crowd on the dance floor (“Doo Wop”)—whatever it’s use, get your head busted by this racket now!

Busted Head Racket Junk Food 10″

Ah, the distinct pleasure one derives from holding the most loathsome vinyl format in their grubby hands…the reviled 10” record. Bands typically avoid the bewitching allure of the cursed middle size by either writing a few more songs and making a proper full-length album, or by exercising restraint and editing down to an EP. Well, BUSTED HEAD RACKET (or BHR) said “fuck all that!” So, a 10” it is. Eight songs of synth-driven, lo-fi, new wave-inspired punk. The vocals oscillate between understated/deadpan and howlingly feral, with flashes of harmony that compliments the undercurrent of pop that courses through the release. BHR would fit well on a bill with fellow Aussies ITCHY AND THE NITS, or really any band of the Warttmann Inc.’s roster of scrambled deviants. The closest reference point is SNOOPER, or perhaps one of the Northwest Indiana bands that undoubtedly inspired them, like C.C.T.V. Concise and energetic, BHR aren’t overly serious—the title track is essentially a shopping list of snack foods—and the goofy fun is quite contagious. A solid release that would make a worthy addition to the three or four other 10”s you might own.