Audiopile Review: One of our favourite oddball entities from explosion of late ’00’s/early ’10’s garage and so-called “weird punk” (ugh, sorry for reminding you) bands are still at it, sounding somehow even more vital 18 years in. We have to admit, we lost track of them somewhere along the lines—oh, the egg on our face now!—but Upset The Rhythm clearly hadn’t, bringing them back to their label 12 years after their last effort for them. In our defense, Pheromoans lead singer, Russell Walker, has been on our radar with his last few excellent turns alongside Dan Melchior under their Lloyd Pack moniker. But Wyrd Psearch is sonically rather far from those blown-out, junkyard garage-via-post-punk efforts from the group’s earlier releases that struck us initially. Dare we say that this is damn near approachable! Clean guitar lines, hooky synths and a sprightly rhythm section are more reminiscent of Echo & The Bunnymen than The Fall. But Russell Walker’s wry humour and poetic observations of the mundane are what keep us coming back. With this one now under our belt, we’ve now got some back catalog to dive into.

The Pheromoans are tenants of an unruly domain. Over the last 18 years the group have evolved from garage rock primitivists to auteurs of their own curious sound; a frothy brew of loose electronics, refractory rock and humdrum musing. Their songs are mutable, capricious, unreliable narrations, often withholding as much as they reveal. Russell Walker’s understated vocal has always been the band’s unifying focus, it is wry, unsparing and willfully honest. Walker’s lyrics are an observational tour de force, sometimes droll, yet often tipping over into unlikely pathos. With previous releases on Upset The Rhythm, Convulsive, and Alter, The Pheromoans return with lucky album number 13, entitled Wyrd Psearch. It was recorded in Lewes throughout 2023. This was undertaken by founding member James Tranmer, his keen instinct for how the band should sound shaping many of the creative decisions. Joined by new guitarist Henry Holmes, the five-piece doubled down on a decidedly breezy, melodic approach. Scott Reeve’s drumming is ever brisk, whilst Daniel Bolger explores AOR peripheries on keyboard and bass. Walker claims that the album’s title is an expression of his frustration at the ubiquity of people claiming things are eerie or weird/wyrd in the present cultural milieu. The artwork for the record is designed as an actual word search too, a knowing nod to how everyone grapples for meaning amongst the absurdity of each day. The overriding impression given by Wyrd Psearch is of a band renewed with ideas. There’s no trouble finding the right words, they’re hitting their mark, keeping up with the commentary. Wyrd Psearch is a document of The Pheromoans mastering their unquiet moment. Limited 180g black vinyl. 500 copies worldwide.