To be honest, I’ve always found Australian garage punk band Bad//Dreems quite intimidating, and the cover art – referencing The Shining – from their new (fourth) full-length studio album HOO HA! reinforces that feeling even further. Both lyrically and musically the fourteen new songs are again disturbing and provocative, but also just as good and impressive as their previous works (unfortunately still not in my collection – not affordable over here; I had hoped to be able to purchase the first three LPs during their European tour, but that was canceled due to a certain pandemic.) Ben Marwe (vocals, guitar), Alex Cameron (guitar), James Bartold (bass) and Miles Wilson (drums) are justifiably confident – based on their ten-plus years of experience – but sound as passionate and sweating as if they’ve only just started. This record is heavy and honest, dark and dynamic, raucous and radical – intimidating indeed, but in the best way possible.
HOO HA!, produced by Dan Luscombe, is out now digitally, and on cassette, CD and vinyl LP, through Farmer & The Owl/BMG.