The Lazy Eyes

★★★★ Songbook LUNATIC ENTERTAINMENT. CD/DL/LP

Australian pop-psych voyagers’ debut LP is a trip.

As Songbook progresses, thoughts turn to Innerspeaker, 2010’s first, landmark, Tame Impala album: similarly modern psychedelia teaming swoony, woozy songs with twinkling melodies and a hard-edged undertow. Add in lush harmonies and a vaporous, high-register lead voice and it’s evident The Lazy Eyes are in full command of their mission. Like Tame Impala, this four-piece are Australian but from Sydney rather than Perth. Their debut album isn’t just about wah-wah guitar, motorik drumming, pixie vocals and the psych moves, though. It’s packed with fully formed, memorable songs. Tangerine is the kind of pop The Three O’Clock used to excel at. The drifting Nobody Taught Me has a lovely, rolling descending melody. That said, most of the epic Where’s My Brain??? is a frazzled instro fusing Neu! insistence with wig-out guitar. A saucer-eyed treat.