Dante Elephante’s "Never Trust a Junkie” walks with a peppy surf rock bounce and sneering lyrics, so punk in their assuredness. For this Goleta quintet, suburbia is meant to be stifling (something I can identify with), but “Never Trust A Junkie” is confident, in control, prepared to handle the upcoming madness with a smile. Just prior to the conclusion, the titular advice ends up the most unguarded howl in the song… As calm as Dante Elephante come across here, distrust is pretty crucial advice for both junkies and their enabling junkees.
This tune, along with the rest of the LP, is refined by the psych-fuzz hands of producer Jonathan Rado, one half of Foxygen. Keep an eye out for Dante Elephante’s debut, Anglo-Saxon Summer, out 10/2 from Lolipop Records. In the meantime, check out their previous German Aquatics EP on soundcloud. – Brian J.K. Regan