Photo by Phoebe Cockburn

“Ice Cold”? That sounds about right as a descriptor for a song that meets the mood, as the Australian experimental alternative rock duo Armlock sound cool to the touch on the first preview off their forthcoming effort and first since signing to Run for Cover Records, Seashell Angel Lucky Charm. In this Alex G-cracked universe, Simon Lam and Hamish Mitchell are meticulous predecessors in the art of making tunefulness an idiosyncratic endeavor. Here, they’re merging the slowcore foundation of their 2021 debut, Trust, with subtle afflictions. Cloud-swirling bass lines lay pattern for alien samples and vibey electronic effects to pique senses. A vapor of color pores through the headspace as its impressionism of stream of conscious lyrical flow matches the swagger. “We were born in the air sign,” Lam sings in one line. Armlock’s synthesis of sublimely chic trip-hop and haute indie rock couture chilling in the same temperature is evidence of that.

Armlock’s Seashell Angel Lucky Charm will be released July 12th on Run for Cover Records.