Cavorting sweetly between the dreamy psych-pop of Stereolab, the melodic brilliance of Hotel Shampoo era Gruff Rhys, and the hypnotic grooves of Can and Os Mutantes, Welsh four-piece, Worldcub, are my new favourite musical find.
Led by brothers Cynyr and Dion Hamer, the band began life as ‘CaStLeS’, drawing inspiration from 70s/80s Paul McCartney and the DIY ethos of William Onyeabor. From their home studio in the hills of Eryri, they blend surf guitar, kraut-rock grooves, and rich, hypnotic psych-tinged vocal harmonies to create their sound. And they’re an absolute must listen for fans of all things psychedelic and progressive (with a small ‘p’).
Their predominantly Welsh language debut album ‘Fforesteering’ came out in 2016, and as a newcomer to it earlier this week, I was bowled over. The reverb soaked harmonies and shape-shifting lo-fi grooves left me in a gentle daze on first listen, and I’ve gone back to it frequently since and found different nuggets every time.
Back in March the band released ‘Back To The Beginning‘, a song so smile-inducing it should come with a health warning. And just last month they followed it up with ‘One Small Mistake‘, another slice of head-nodding, earworm excellence that’s got me hoping a new album is on the horizon.
Check out all of Worldcub‘s releases to date on their Bandcamp page here.
Slacker Shack 