- Until today Austrian female duo Kristy And The Kraks have somehow managed to slip right under my garage radar. And let me tell you, their debut EP Kristy And The Kraks, out through Totally Wired Records, could not have made it's way to my ears at a better time.

Over recent months I had began to believe that the garage revival brought on by bands such as Black Lips and the King Khan & The BBQ Show in the early 2000s was doomed to fade away into the more era-correct surf and psychedelic material that has been emerging in more recent years. However, Kristy And The Kraks have proven me wrong with this piece of garage gold.

While the EP is by no means a masterpiece, what makes Kristy And The Kraks so charming is the fact that they aren't TRYING to make it one. In fact, the simplicity of these clanky guitar riffs and simple drums could almost have been done by a child... A child raised on a diet consiting of only 5.6.7.8's albums and the entire Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era compilation.

The title track, I Don't Love You No More, pretty much encapsulates everything I have written so far, opening with a Link Wray-esque tremolo drenched guitar line and semi-out-of-time drum beat. Enter the vocals: trebly, slightly over-driven and just perfect for the genre. Throw in a slow, overly-simple, distorted guitar solo and there you have it - a garage track is born.

Now, I'm not saying that the music world by any means is lacking for garage rock, however I definitely wouldn't mind hearing a bit more of a return to this style of simple, stripped back rock'n'roll. Plenty vintage, rough around the edges and led by some babin' european rock'n'roll queens. What more could you want?

- Louis Whelan.