S&m Presents: Oral Habit

Sidney & Matilda Presents: Oral Habit Oral Habit deal in what they call “the ear-rattling psychic dream of choked-up acid punks”,a sound that feels overpowering, explosive and intense: you could say it’s more closelyaligned to the disoriented racket of mid-60s freakbeat than the pie-eyed beatitudes of theSummer of Love; equally you could suggest it’s a very contemporary form of psychedelia,rebooted for the troubled, disturbing climate of 2025.Initially a home recording project of frontman Charlie Hales now expanded into a trio withthe addition of his brother Felix on drums, and his partner Tippi Lewis on bass, Oral Habit’srecent EP Garage Frock! offers four short, sharp bursts that expand on the sound of itspredecessor, Cardiovascular Spectacular, throwing up an impressively bloody and chaoticmelange of guitar fuzz, echo-drenched vocals, feedback-drenched solos and primitive riffsthat feels as if it was recorded with everything turned up to full volume, including themellotron that decorates I’m Free. Even the one track that initially presents as a ballad, TheCoast, eventually gives way to a crushing, sludgy grind. As statements of intent go, it’simpressively full-on, as is Charlie’s explanation of the band’s sonic philosophy: “if abutton’s there, it’s there to be pushed.” - Alexis Petridis £10 ADV Doors- 7:45pm