Self-dubbed “surf doom” trio The Wytches are the newest band to take inspiration from psychedelic 60s, following the hippy trend set by the likes of Temples, Tame Impala and The Horrors.

The Wytches, however, move within the darker, hushed, and weirder corners of the decade, with a retrospective that comes more from the Charles Manson murders and black magic of Anton LaVey’s novel ‘The Satanic Bible’, than the flower power and peace of Woodstock.

Beehive Queen sways between the apocalyptic visions of The Rolling Stones ‘Paint It Black’, the horror film undertones of Black Sabbath and The Beach Boys surf guitars. Proto punk B-side ‘Crying Clown’ sees lead singer Kristian Bell’s strained vocals lie somewhere between the raw death grip of Iggy Pop and a playful Sid Barrett, while the grungy bass riff, crashing drums and flesh hunting organ of ‘Digsaw’, force the band into the stranger moments of The Coral’s songbook.

The Wytches summon their dark arts upon us for their first single ‘Beehive Queen’, to create one of the most fresh, fun and exciting new songs of the moment. While they are still a band in their early days, this is the perfect introduction.

For more on the band visit www.thewytches.com

words Alan Byatt