Review: Crocodelia - Out Of The Swamp

Sorry for the radio silence of late...had some shit to deal with but normal service has been resumed....and this is a fine way in which to return. This is a cracking little EP from the faraway shores of Taiwan and I gotta say it really has tickled my pickle. Crocodelia are comprised of three guys; Yuun, Yufu and Shindo and this is their debut release and it is a little gem of fuzzy, moody sixties garage punk.

Being an EP there are just the six tracks, which is a shame because I would dearly love to hear an album from these guys...but tiny steps eh? Things kick off with the title track 'Out of the Swamp' and immediately we are transported back to the sixties with a surf/garage intro that initially comes across as a moody noir piece but the tempo picks up halfway through and evolves into an instrumental belter, firmly based in the sixties but with a contemporary intensity. 'In The Jungle' picks up on the theme and adds some deeply reverbed vocals. Whilst staying ostensibly garage punk in flavour, there are flashes of early psychedelia that make this track an absolute joy. The authenticity is something to be truly admired....everything about this EP just shouts "sixties" - the music, the vibes and the production - the tracks could have easily fitted onto one of the myriad of sixties garage comps. 'The Flow' is a belter of a track...uptempo and fizzing with garage punk energy....and has some groovy organ work to add an extra dose of authenticity. 'I Can't Feel' is a mean and moody track, the reverb is heavy and the atmosphere full of regret and lost love. 'Little Calf' has some more groovy Farfisa that complements the surfy guitar and vocals perfectly. Closing track 'Open The Gate' which, at six and a half minutes' is double the length of previous tracks, is a whole different kettle of fish. It opens with some vaguely discernible moans, subtle drum rolls and flashes of guitar that give it the air of suspense and foreboding and is totally unlike anything else on the EP. It has the air of some of the more experimental Japanese psych of the seventies and it shows that these guys are no 'one trick ponies'.

I really, really dig this EP - it reminds me of those garage comps that were stepping stones that helped me get into this whole psych scene. They channel not only the music of the sixties but also the vibes and the optimism of those sixties punks. It is all played with skill and nous with liberal doses of surfy guitar, ace organ and moody vocals. I've always thought that there is an art to making really good garage punk records.....some bands seem to think that making a racket with some reverb and twang is good enough but the bands who do it well also understand the feeling and the history of the music...and Crocodelia should be added to the pantheon of bands who do it well. 'Out Of The Swamp' is available as a download and tape and can be purchased via their bandcamp page here