Armlock, the up-and-coming Australian duo of Simon Lam and Hamish Mitchell, have released their new album, ‘Seashell Angel Lucky Charm’ out on Run For Cover Records.

Clocking in at just 18 minutes, ‘Seashell Angel Lucky Charm’ provides instantly immersive indie rock that’s at once impressionistic and accessible, ambiguous yet refreshingly earnest. Early singles ‘Fear’, ‘Ice Cold’ and ‘Guardian’ introduced Armlock‘s intricate sound and now listeners can hear LP in full. Longtime friends and collaborators, Lam (vocals and guitar) and Mitchell (guitar and keyboards) met studying jazz at Monash University in Melbourne, eventually discovering a shared love of electronic music. After a handful of electronic and dance-oriented projects (I’lls, Couture, Kllo) Armlock came together and the two began incorporating guitar into the music they were making for the first time. ‘Seashell Angel Lucky Charm’ is the imaginative and sonically rich result. The music at times recalls Pinback’s lean alternative, Alex G’s adventurous indie, or the wave of mysterious-yet-endearing genre-bending music coming out of the UK from label’s like Dean Blunt’s World Music or Vegyn’s PLZ Make It Ruins. Lam‘s vocals sit up front, often buoyed by spare guitar lines and a simple but steady beat, with ample space is left for production flourishes like distant laughter, chopped up samples, and pitched squeals to ping around the listener’s ears and leave you ready to hit repeat. Album manages to walk a fine line: impressionistic yet accessible, ambiguous yet refreshingly earnest. Armlock immerse you in their world but they don’t hold your hand, allowing you to be the one to discover the melodies and ideas within. It’s an impressive feat for only 18 minutes of music and it will leave you searching for more–and luckily you can hit repeat right away.

‘Seashell Angel Lucky Charm’ tracklist:
1. Ice Cold
2. Fear
3. Guardian
4. El Oh Vee Ee
5. Seashell Angel Lucky Charm
6. Godsend
7. Fair

photo credit: Phoebe Cockburn