With references to “wet cement on old steel frames” and “laying down the main foundations”, a cursory first listen to ECSR’s new single had me thinking that Brendan and the guys had been attending some of the those Bunnings DIY workshops. But subsequent listens reveal that it’s about the weariness of growing older; the “wet cement” metaphor has more to do with moving on than laying a patio.

Released on cool New York label Mexican Summer – who have put out records by the likes of Wooden Shjips, Dungen and Ariel Pink – 'Wet Cement' (hand numbered out of 500 and sold out on pre-order alone) opens with Mikey Young's simple but breezy guitar before Brendan's inimitable and insouciant singing takes over.

Without going into psychoanalysis mode, the song seems to address some of the more self-reflective themes such as aging and facing responsibility explored on the band's latest album Rush to Relax. With lines such as, “Getting old/And growing rotten/You need a service/You need a refuelling/This busy schedule is becoming gruelling”, it's a song that sees the band developing both lyrically and sonically from their earlier, more manic energy. That being said, the two B-sides certainly amp things up a bit.

'Hey Mum' is an ode from Brendan to his mother. Like 'I Can be a Jerk' from Rush to Relax it carries an open and heartfelt message: “I just want to say thanks for giving birth so I can walk this earth/I can't put a price on what you are worth.” Meanwhile, the raw guitar and urgent drumming on final track 'Through the Trees' sounds like something that could have been lifted off their first self-titled album.

by Tim Scott