Thee Windom Earles – Trashcan Sunrise

It’s been four long years since Thee Windom Earles launched themselves into the consciousness of cellar dwellers and garage freaks everywhere with their debut album, Mai Tai Pink Eye. The only teaser for their new album has been the Playing Dead single which followed in 2020, since then it’s been radio silence. But whilst there’s not been any recorded material in a long time, Thee Windom Earles have not been idle, they have been playing basements, attics and any venue that would have them, building their following, perfecting their craft and startling the unsuspecting at any given opportunity. Now we get to experience the next instalment of their aural onslaught with a Trashcan Sunrise, their new ten track sophomore album which will emerge via Bandcamp and digital outlets on the 9th September.

Kicking off like the cousins of The Munsters with the instrumental Monster Safari, which would be an ideal opening theme for any self respecting 1960’s left field trashy tv show. Next up in the celebration of all things trashy is Nudie Magazine, like everything they do this reverb heavy slice of garage kitsch is an original blast inspired by the creatures lurking in the garage vaults. Billy Meat keeps the primitive fuzz coming, if anything this feels even closer to their twisted roots, with the album’s demented lead single, Playing Dead, making it’s appearance a mere three years after it was released, that drifts into the dark and twisted rumble of Pomade.

Given the retro nature of Thee Windom Earles it seems appropriate to pretend that I’ve just flipped the disc over, I haven’t but we’re going in on the virtual flipside. Channelling the sixties girl gangs of the garage scene is Bubblegum, a glorious chunk of kitsch that despite the sticky sweet title carries a distinct menace, how do you follow that? With the dark off kilter garage boogie of Spacetits obviously. Savage Skulls returns to Thee Windom Earles very own cocktail of demented garage, rock ’n roll and psychedelics, where whirling keyboards and reverbed echoing riffs abound before descending into madness. An intense Head Hex keeps their dark party flowing along before the final rays from Trashcan Sunrise cast their shadow. Of course they have saved the strangest for last, with Mighty Sauve resembling a fever dream inspired equally by Wall of Sound and The Calico Wall’s I’m A Living Sickness.

Thee Windom Earles could have replicated the garage rock vein of their debut, they wouldn’t have been the first garage band to deal in recycled goods, and it’s worked for many over the years. But Thee Windom Earles are no one trick pony. Whilst they have stayed true to their trashy garage roots this has a different feel, maybe darker, possibly more muscular, perhaps a touch more demented, or maybe they’ve just been overdoing it on the cocktails. If the second album is supposed to difficult then nobody told Thee Windom Earles, they’ve surpassed their debut with an album from the trashy side of the street. Whilst it possesses that original garage band attitude and swagger, this is no blast from the past, this is the soundtrack your favourite dive bar needs.

This is a band that should be experienced live in a packed basement venue and the five piece squeezed onto a slick stage, but it must be said that with Trashcan Sunrise they’ve come damn close to bottling the lightning of their live shows. For those in the North West of the UK Thee Windom Earles will be playing an album launch show alongside Thee Gatesheadcoats on the 9th September at Manchester’s Star & Garter.

Live photography courtesy of Adrian Wharton & Neil Winward