We Have the Technology

We Have the Technology

As Custard’s popularity grew—especially with fan faves like 1995’s rambunctious “Apartment”—the more self-deprecating they became. By their fourth album, 1997’s We Have the Technology, the Brisbane, Australia, band were dishing out some of their most sardonically unabashed indie rock, earning them their first chart hit with the infectious guitar-pop single “Music Is Crap,” written by then-new member, drummer Glenn Thompson. While the lyrics remain plenty dry, frontman David McCormack’s vocals still quiver and crack in earnest. Take the album’s opening line, “I didn't mean to call you a liar, except when you said you loved me,” on the thrashy “Scared Of Skill." From there, the band tries on just about everything, sprinting through sludgy rock, spiky punk, hushed alt-country, prickly indie pop, and even a groovy surf instrumental (“Memory Man”). Within the frisky tangle of guitars, Thompson and bassist Paul Medew assert their power, keeping the rhythm brisk and tight, especially on punchy cuts like “Nice Bird” and “No Rock and Roll Record," in which McCormack offers his most tongue-in-cheek tease, proclaiming he’s “not wasting my time on a dumb pop song.”

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