EP Review: Nice Biscuit – Create Simulate

Australian psych quintet Nice Biscuit have just released the brand new “Create Simulate” EP via Believe Digital, my first question is about the name, this might seem inconsequential but is it Nice, as in I quite like it and rhymes with rice, or Nice as in the established biscuit and French city, as in rhymes with peace, but either way, who can resist a nice biscuit? Now before you click over to something that’s more in the regular punk zone, just hang fire, as the “Create Simulate” EP is certainly not just a meandering lysergic episode, although elements of the “Create Simulate” EP do definitely dip into that territory.

Don’t be fooled by the Bossa-Nova rhythm that eases you into the opening track ‘Fem Chem‘, as the song explodes into a driven and off kilter blast that blends the garage band energy and heady psyche that is ultimately combined with an almost new wave sensibility. From here you dive into heavy trashy garage rhythms of ‘Pink River‘, but as with it’s predecessor this switches and swiftly blooms into full on headstrong psychedelia that ebbs and flows throughout. The mid way point is marked by the ethereal intermission of ‘Space Dogs‘ before ‘Candle‘ kicks back into their trippy driven psyche, the EP’s grand finalè is ‘Limbs‘, a crunching lysergic rocker that deserves as much volume as you can stand.

With the “Create Simulate” EP Nice Biscuit have woven together a soundtrack that embraces the garage and psychedelic roots that inform their sound, and let’s not forget that it was those same influences that influenced many of the early punk bands, but there’s also influences drawn from beyond the psychedelic swamp that add something extra to their sound. In particular the ethereal harmonised dual vocals from Grace Cuell and Billie Star add something special into the mix and tops off the lysergic cocktail that is the “Create Simulate” EP.

You can stream the “Create Simulate” EP here