Let’s take an adventure to a dimension where Rock n Roll is distinctively Garage-tinted, Cryptids invite you to dance and the pain of a relationship falling apart can easily be dulled by a shot of bourbon served on another planet. Intrigued? You should be. If you’re into Palooka 5’s retrofuture sound but with a touch more sand in the gears, you need to be checking out New York’s Dr Ex And The Breakups.

The uniting feature behind the five tracks on ‘Moon Motel’ is a rushing sense of motivation and joy in the micro-worlds they’re creating. From the opening scrunch of ‘Bigfoot Boogie’, we’re invited into the dimension of Dr Ex, and it’s such a fun place: strutting bass, almost illegal amounts of organ breakdowns and total drama, especially with tracks like ’99 Breakups’. Sweeter tracks like ‘Red Eyed Whiskey Girl’ feel like the blurry memories of a great night out as you recall them round the kitchen table the next morning, and single ‘Det. Jack Gavin’ is basically a neo-sixties car chase set to music, such is the pace and eclectic power that they pour into the song.

The standout has to be the singalong ‘The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)’: just a touch of bitterness, melancholy and reckless nostalgia with a chorus that channels intensity into lines you can bellow out.

‘Moon Motel’ is a tightly plotted, and wildly inventive, slice of excitement and power for those slightly disappointed with the fact the present day never brought us flying cars, and are determined to drink through that disappointment. ‘Moon Motel’ is fab listen and an extremely welcome addition to your playlists.

Kate Allvey

Buy music from Dr Ex And The Breakups here