Psych rock bands really do love to put out material, don’t they? Psychedelic Porn Crumpets were already having an excellent year after the release of the wonderfully entertaining ‘Carpe Diem, Moonman’ a number of months back: clearly not good enough though, as the follow-up record is already here! Full of all the fuzzy guitar tones and outlandish song ideas you’ve come to expect from one of Australia’s most eccentric groups, ‘Pogo Rodeo’ stands toe-to-toe with its predecessor, proving that quality and quantity aren’t mutually exclusive after all.

In many ways, ‘Carpe Diem, Moonman’ and ‘Pogo Rodeo’ fit together like sister albums, although if these two records really are related, it’s as part of a peculiar family tree. Where Psychedelic Porn Crumpets’ previous release spent the majority of its runtime skipping through calming jams— just see the adorable escapades of ‘As the Hummingbird Hovers’ and ‘Winter in Parachutes’— the new record pushes its energy much further. This is the band with both feet pressed firmly into the gas pedal, unleashing some of their boldest and most unrelenting material to date. Even by the standards of psych rock, ‘Pogo Rodeo’ sounds unspeakably fuzzy and distorted: every element, from McEwan’s punk-tinged vocals to the blaring guitars, can be heard crackling and breaking, like the album is being played through a megaphone. This decision certainly lends the record a distinct sound, exhausting as it may be— it’s a testament to PPC’s talent that they can take those abrasive textures and use them to their advantage like this.

If the record can be summed up, it sounds like a high-speed car chase that slowly gives way to the most carefree road trip of your life: ‘Pogo Rodeo’ does slow down in its final leg, but not before absolutely melting your face off. Opener ‘Salsa Verde’ gives ‘Another Reincarnation’ a run for its money in terms of balls-to-the-wall madness, plowing into monstrous fuzzy guitar riffs, crunchy vocal hooks and an absolutely pounding breakdown (interpolating The Beatles’ ‘Come Together,’ of all things). The band are not playing around here, infusing every element with an energy both vicious and joyous— PPC’s punk influences come through on ‘Born In the A.D’s’ and ‘The Real Contra Band,’ lending the record a confident swagger we just can’t get enough of (at the cost of, it must be said, somewhat grating vocal inflections). Biliondana’s bass deserves special mention for just how effectively it keeps the momentum rolling across these cuts, sustaining the groove that comes to define ‘Pogo Rodeo:’ really though, every player is bringing something special across these eleven tracks.

Perhaps the greatest aspect at the album’s disposal is its numerous memorable hooks, which bounce between the vocals and the guitars like a frenetic game of ping-pong: you can never be sure which element will capture your attention next, but you’ll always be left humming a tune, whatever happens. The dad-rock riffs of ‘Manny’s Ready to Roll’ and ‘Texas Rangers’ are both insanely likeable (and shockingly complex to boot), but more often than not, it’s the songs’ wonderful choruses that stand out to us strongest. It’s a stark contrast to a cut like ‘Japan,’ which throws phenomenal melodies at you from all sides: the track is a bizarre one, carried completely by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets’ unflinching dedication to all things fun. ‘Pogo Rodeo’ proves, maybe more than any previous release, that the group are no-nonsense rockstars. Behind the hilarious album cover and the wacky theatrics, this is an album full of some of the gnarliest psych rock of 2025— PPC may be entertaining, but they sure as shootin’ ain’t messing around.

That fuzzy, rough-around-the-edges presentation doesn’t fit the album’s softer ideas as well as it does its meanest, as you might expect: even despite that though, ‘Pogo Rodeo’ does an admirable job following ‘Carpe Diem, Moonman’ in this regard. ‘Looniversal’ is an easy-going country-rock jam that’s begging to put a smile on your face— seriously, anyone who doesn’t giggle at the harmonised vocals of “California” needs a good talking to. McEwan and company’s penchant for excellent melodies continues on ‘Unconventional Daze,’ which allows striking descending melodies to punch through its hazy, psychedelic arrangement: a soundscape like this would probably feel extremely left-field from a different band, but becomes almost by-the-numbers for this wacky crew. These slower tracks are a little less consistent than their fast-paced ragers, sure— ‘Watermelon’ is a tad forgettable, and ‘Heading to Fringe’ serves more of a purpose rounding the record out than it does standalone— but there’s still a tonne of solid material to explore. ‘Bowling With Tim’ sounds like PPC’s take on a Weezer track, complete with flanger guitar tones and unconventional chord changes, and it, like the cuts around it, is quite a sight to beyond.

Is ‘Pogo Rodeo’ quite as rock-solid as ‘Carpe Diem, Moonman’ before it? Perhaps not. Is it still an awesome collection of psych rock tracks, indicative of one of the most exhilarating bands this year? Sure is. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets have shaken off their shackles once and for all, producing the final form of their fuzzy, unconventional sound: it’s an album meant to be turned up loud and blasted in a car at high speeds. If this is the quality the band are putting out, we can’t blame PPC for putting out two records in a single year: more excellent music is never something to be sniffed at.