Having spent the better part of the last decade performing around Melbourne in a string of sprawling pop and shoegaze bands, it’s a pleasant surprise to be hit with the debut solo single from local psychedelic brain Rory Lampitt. Now performing under the guise of Wilf Jones, ’The Only Way’ has Lampitt filtering the more exploratory tendencies of his early music into a neo-psych nugget, that balances his former chaotic energy with a refined pop edge.

Instantly immersive, ‘The Only Way’ opens with waves of atmospheric guitar and terse, stabbing keys, while Rory’s vocals loom, his deep voice sounding as menacing as it is effortlessly cool. There’s an overwhelmingly sinister feel to the track which isn’t helped by the restless, skittering beat that underpins everything, but as we head into the chorus, the groove settles and the mood shifts. Full with rich organ chords while the guitar swells humbly, Rory repeats “the only way to win the game is not to play”, now backed by a sweeter vocal to counter the venom in his voice. As the soundscape sprawls onwards, it’s not quite apparent which side of the fence Wilf Jones really sits on - whether the refrain is a bitter jab at society or whether he’s just making fun of himself for sounding so severe - however, the track does flitter enthrallingly between darkness and lightness to perfectly conjure some striking “end of the world vibes”, as Rory describes it.

Created by Hannah Grant, the new clip manages to feel just as restless and dizzying as the track. However, it turns out its unnerving edge wasn’t completely by design, as Rory explains, “we struggled to find a church to film in, so we rented an Airbnb that had a chapel-like room. The owner really didn't like us filming a video clip in their place and kinda chased us out, but we managed to film a bit more on the sly and got what we needed.”