Channel Four

Led by the fanciful charm of singer / multi-instrumentalist Tim Karmouche (The Murlocs, Dreamin’ Wild), Crepes came about in Ballarat, Australia through high-school friends Nick (drums) and Pat Robbins (bass). The band later grew to include lead guitarist Sam Cooper (formerly of Fraser A. Gorman) and keyboardist Jackson Dahlenburg (Tropical Snakes, Robot Fox), after relocating to Melbourne. Their first new music since their 2015 debut self-titled EP, 2017 sees Crepes reemerge with a newfound gusto and their debut album Channel Four. Holding true to the quintet’s signature brand of quaint and catchy guitar-pop, it is a nostalgic and disarmingly earnest exploration of young love, aspiration, self-doubt and lost relationships. Channeling inspirations as diverse as Devo, Gary Numan and Cass McCombs, Crepes’ retro-edged pop ranges from the jaunty, surf-glazed jangle of Cold Summers, to the dreamy and introspective synth strains of Size of Your Town. Channel Four's playfully titled first offering, Sexyland, chugs along with the zeal of a group eager to make an impression. Shimmering keys flicker over a driving rhythm and steel string slide-guitar, hinting at the band’s love of mid-‘70s rock ‘n’ roll (think Paul McCartney’s Wings, or Steely Dan’s more stripped-back moments), also evident in 9-5 Summer Breakers and Mild Conversation. More introspective, at times experimental, moments can be found in the cosmic-calypso of Four Years Time and the hazy, Numan- indebted title track,Channel Four. Self-produced alongside David M Turner esq. (Redspencer, Tourist Dollars), the record was fully realised with the help of Woods’ Jarvis Taveniere (Mild High Club, Charlie Hilton), and Joseph Carra (Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Dick Diver) on mixing and mastering duties respectively.

LP - With Download.