EP Review: Destrends – Wasteland

  • Phinky posted
  • Reviews

Destrends

Wasteland - Bread And Butter Records

Melbourne’s Destrends have finally released the “Wasteland” EP, that follow up on 2017’s “Lousy Lover“. After tantalising their fanbase by dropping half of the tracks, the two singles ‘Medication’ and ‘Missing People’, the full package has finally arrived courtesy of Bread And Butter Records. The trio has been releasing their own take on punk and post punk since 2015, something that means they pre-date the current renaissance in the Australian alternative scene. On the basis of this EP Destrends should soon be part of the latest wave of Australian musical exports.

Missing People, the second single that was drawn from the ‘Wasteland‘ EP, is a stunning sub three minute hit of high energy bass driven dark punk rock, and if you aren’t drawn into this track with 90 seconds then, not to put too finer point on it, here’s something wrong with you. The EP’s title track takes a detour into angular and spiky post punk territory before hitting you with a truly epic chorus, the post punk theme continues with ‘Peaches‘, this time it’s more abrasive and time travels back to ’77 for it’s chorus. The “Wasteland” EP rounds out with the lead single ‘Medication‘, a barbed slab of adrenalised bass driven, almost nihilistic, punk rock.

What Destrends deliver with the ‘Wasteland‘ EP is essentially post punk sandwich, the filling is spiky post punk that is wrapped in two epic punk singles. The two new tracks that populate the middle of the EP, ‘Wasteland‘ and ‘Peaches‘, feature none of the self indulgent tendencies that can be part of post punk, they retain the energy and sharpness that takes you back to the origins of the scene, but bring the sound kicking and screaming into 2020. The two singles, ‘Missing People‘ and ‘Medication‘, that bookend the EP are simply faultless, two perfect tracks that resonate with a simmering energy and anger.

The “Wasteland” EP can be streamed and purchased here and DestrendsBandcamp is here