Out through Geelong label Weather Vane Records, Phaedo fit tidily into the canon of noise that’s emerged out of Victoria’s second biggest city over recent years. Following a similar trajectory of a handful of loved Pivotonian acts, the five-piece specialise in garage-punk blitzes that weave in razor-sharp riffery, acerbic wordplay and psychedelic flourishes, and Spiral is perhaps their most concise effort yet.

Kicking off with the title track, listeners are ushered into a false sense of security with ebbing guitars and vocalist Kyle Lock’s gentle croak, before the track bursts open with a wall of fuzzed-out guitars over a thumping backbeat. Next up, ‘Black Velvet’ emerges with a gloriously hiccuping groove, and unravels to allow the band to explore their zanier tendencies before finally erupting into a searing psych-rock explosion.

‘Pleasure and Consequence’ is similarly haphazard, with its relentless pulse coupled with frantic guitar antics and Kyle’s charged vocals, before the EP rounds out with ‘Oscilliation’. Potentially the most gripping moment across the listen, this track catches Phaedo leaning into the unpredictable, as the song darts between frenzied psych and grimy sunshine-pop - at one moment guitars are jangling gleefully, and the next we’re deep in fuzz as the band attempt to overwhelm us with a barrage of angular riffs and off-kilter twists and turns. It’s over all too soon, but it’s a thrilling return that has us ready and waiting to find out where Phaedo want to take us next.