you Don't Know Us, But We Know Who You Are

L.A.'s Satellite does listeners a favor, bringing this nobody Melbourne, Australia, quintet to American ears. Feverdream straddles the best influences of the last 20 years: Punk, post-punk, dream pop, atmospheric rock, and quiet, moody stuff stew together within convincing tunes. On the opening, "Never Letting Go," bassist/singer Ewan McArthur bawls dramatically with the guts of Stiff Little Fingers' Jake Burns (who he resembles on the chorus, and occasionally elsewhere, with that throaty greatness), while the guitars surge with longing (see also the smoldering "Vortex"). The wired, cascading guitar sound brings back the memory of fantastic, equally unheralded, more or less forgotten Aussie outfits such as the Ups and Downs, Toys Went Berserk, and the latter work of the Happy Hate Me Nots. The sinewy, faraway timbres offset the aggression amidst melodic smarts to make for an often mesmerizing LP, one that occasionally equals Whipping Boy's stunning Heartworm.