EXTENDED PLAY 051: GOOD LEKKER | 'PORTRAITS' EP | REVIEW

Words by Mark Griffin.

Good Lekker’s brand new EP, Portraits, is fun, funky and danceable from start to finish. Proceedings kick off with intro track, IN 2. Pulsing synths build a sense of drama and excitement that finally break into the groovy Death Scroll. The track builds to an almost angry crescendo before the anthemic Show I Care kicks in. It’s a little bit New Wave, a little bit 1975, with a tinge of the Australian surf-rock sound that is all over the indie-scene at the moment. Show I Care, gives way to the slightly more serious and darker sounding lead-single Pretty Boys. Life in Time adds a sense of drama before EP closer, Feed the Feeling closes things out with a blend of drama and danceable synth lines. Feed the Feeling is probably the closest thing to a sonic outlier on this EP, it’s bridge break-down stands out as a ‘quiet’ moment on the record— but the sense of cohesion across all the tracks is strong.

Good Lekker are clearly having a ball on this EP and the production and songwriting is slick and confident. It’s an EP that sounds both a little bit retro and thoroughly modern at the same time. If you haven’t come across the band before, then this EP is an excellent introduction to their sound. With the weather, at least in Wollongong where the boys are originally from, switching from Summer into Autumn, this EP is also an excellent way to recapture some of those Summer vibes. Every song feels like it could comfortably soundtrack the volleyball or football montages from Top Gun— depending if you prefer the original or the sequel— and I find them putting a smile on my face as I listen to them.

I’m also a big fan of 80s New Wave synths, and Good Lekker’s synth game is on point on Portraits. They never succumb to 80s cheese and they’re clearly the offspring of mid-00s indie as much as the 80s, but damn if those synths aren’t a warm bath for my ears. As much as Portraits is straightforward indie-pop/rock in a lot ways, Good Lekker set themselves apart from some of their contemporaries by building some fantastic soundscapes with layered guitars, synths and basses. What I’m saying is, if you like a good synth and slick production, then Portraits is for you.

Good Lekker are touring the East coast in May.