Despite being a new name on the scene, the members of Albert Street are no strangers to the local music community - each member having arrived at this point from different places and musical backgrounds. Chris (originally from Jakarta) and Albert (from the slightly closer Alice Springs) were school friends who grew up together playing in garage-folk outfit The Oh Balters, a band that recently went on hiatus. During their time off, it wasn’t long before the itch to perform and write sprung anew and Albert Street soon helter came to fruition, joined by Layla, a recognisable face from Melbourne’s punk scene, and Luke, formerly from LVIV.

If the phrase Helter Skelter is meant to conjure notions of disorder or confusion (the fairground ride or the frenetic Beatles single both being permissible examples), then ‘Skelter Helter’ is a more controlled affair - this instrumental track recalls those classic examples by The Doors, when Jim Morrison would close his eyes to the world and let Ray Manzariek, John Densmore, and Robby Krieger express and explode around him. The tight and and intent drumming carries the song, interjected as it is by pondering guitar licks.

Its steady momentum is a great companion for the release's key track, and Albert had this to say about the new single: “‘King Of My Soul’ was finished after I’d had a fight with someone I don’t agree with on many levels. I wanted to write it down but wasn’t sure exactly what it was that I wanted to say. I was sitting in my room one afternoon and decided to look through a few of my old poems and came across ‘King Of My Soul’. I couldn’t remember writing it, but thought, “this is exactly how I feel” and so picked up the guitar and the song was done. It’s about realising that you’re the master of your own world, and if anybody wants to meddle with that, then they don’t have to mean anything to you."

As it is, it’s a fine thing that he happened to find this song again. Albert bemoans that his adversary has “got no spine… you know he’s got no plan” and such is the energy and buoyancy of the song that - despite not knowing the intricacies of what caused the fight - the listener is inclined to side with Albert Street anyway.

If one didn’t know about the folk-rock background of Albert and Chris before listening, they would easily be able to deduce it afterwards. ‘King Of My Soul’ is so of its genre that a timelessness envelops it - the track has no qualms about being earnest and forthright, is free from pretension, and is much better for these things. And while it has all the honesty and keenness of folk, the effects of Layla and Luke’s punk leanings is still present in the thrust and force of the song.

If you’re in Melbourne this weekend, the band will be playing their first show at The Evelyn Hotel this Saturday - and with stomping folk like this, it's likely these new tracks will find even more vitality live.