Traps inhabit a curious spot on the Sydney indie-rock landscape. With a debut EP, Common Errors, full of confident garage-dwelling indie and an effortless cool about them, it’s a surprise there aren’t bloodthirsty majors knocking furiously at their door. Thankfully upstart imprint Rice Is Nice (already the home to Talons and Spod) has seen Traps’ potential and snaffled them up.

The resulting 7”, Standard Life, makes a further case for Traps’ early promise. The title track is a mess of wailing guitars, frenzied cymbal-riding percussion and chugging rhythms. It doesn’t have the Cure-biting hookiness of their first EP, but it’s driven and energetic, much like Traps themselves.

The wax package is also worth checking out for the impressive ‘Brainwasher’ on the b-side. It’s an unexpected turn after the short and sharp ‘Standard Life’, but a refreshing one nontheless. Underpinned by some relentless feedback drone, Traps throw everything at the track, including clattering guitar, crushed drum machines and gloom-gazing vocal moans. It’s a startling track from a very tidy little 7”, and hopefully an indication of where Traps are going.

by Dave Ruby Howe