Among my favourite debuts last year came from an Australian band The Gnomes. This young band had a indelible ability to channel the seeds of punk that trickled through garage a decade prior, evoking the bands who failed to fit into the mould of dapper down Beatle-boot nice boys.
With The Kinks’ fuzz tone as their compass rose, the band’s debut was full of snarl and strum, a bounty of hooks with hidden knives. They follow up quickly with a digital EP that pushes their sound even further. With a few nods back to the debut’s rave up rippers, they also push further into a heaviness that was only hinted at before. The EP opens up with the thunder and sneer of “Thinking of Me,” a song that’s battered with bluster and ready to burst. Previous peek into the EP, “Magic Man” is in the running, already as a tune of the year. “Don’t Worry” hews closest to the record, the kind of ‘60s romper that’s always ready to tear a bit more tumultuous on stage.
Then they close out the record with a little smoke and seethe that feels like it would fit right in with the California contingent swirling around Segall / Primitive Ring / Hooveriiii. A nice hint of things to come and an essential companion to their record from last year.
Hailing from Melbourne’s bayside suburb of Frankston, The Gnomes are a teenage/early-20s four-piece delivering a feral, hook-heavy take on ‘60s beat, garage and power pop. Formed by singer-guitarist Jay Millar from a prolific Bandcamp bedroom project, the band quickly built local heat before their November 2025 self-titled debut drew international acclaim, earning 4-star reviews in Mojo, Shindig! and Vive Le Rock.
It’s “High-octane, harmony-laden jangle rock nectar…absolutely everything Oasis could have been but for the addition of a single ounce of unguarded joy.” – Classic Rock
“Garage rock magic… the possibilities are endless.” – Mojo
The Fat Angel Sings 