PSYCHIC 9-5 CLUB (CLEAR W/ PINK SWIRL)

Psychic 9-5 Club marks the beginning of a new chapter for HTRK. It's
an album that looks back on a time of sadness and struggle, and
within that struggle they 'nd hope and humour and love. It's Jonnine
Standish and Nigel Yang's 'rst album recorded entirely as a duo -
former band member Sean Stewart died halfway through the
recording of their last LP, 2011's Work (Work, Work).
Though the record is instantly recognisable as HTRK - Standish's vocal
delivery remains central to the band's sound, while the productions
are typically lean and dubby - they've found ample room for
exploration within this framework. Gone are the reverb-soaked guitar
explorations of 2009's Marry Me Tonight and the fuzzy growls that ran
through Work (Work Work). They've been replaced with something
tender, velvety and polished. This is HTRK, but the 'esh has been
stripped from their sound, throwing the focus on naked arrangements
and minimalist sound design.
The album was recorded at Blazer Sound Studios in New Mexico with
Excepter's Nathan Corbin, who had previously directed the video clip
for Work (Work Work) cut 'Bendin.' Inviting a third party into their
world was no easy decision, but in Corbin they found a kindred spirit.
The LP was then re'ned and reworked in Australia at the turn of 2013,
before the 'nishing touches were applied in New York during the
summer.
Of all the themes that run through Psychic 9-5 Club, love is the most
central. The word is laced throughout the album in lyrics and titles -
love as a distraction, loving yourself, loving others. Standish's lyrics
explore the complexities of sexuality and the body's reaction to
personal loss, though there's room for wry humour - a constant
through much of the best experimental Australian music of the past
few decades.
Standish explores her vocal range fully - her husky spoken-word drawl
remains, but we also hear her laugh and sing. Equally, Yang's
exploratory production techniques - particularly his well-documented
love of dub - are given room to shine. They dip headlong into some of
the things that make humans tick - love, loss and desire - with the
kind of integrity that has marked the band out from day one. Psychic
9-5 Club is truly an album for the body and for the soul.
1. Give it Up
2. Blue Sunshine
3. Feels like Love
4. Soul Sleep
5. Wet Dream
6. Love is Distraction
7. Chinatown Style
8. The Body You Deserve