As the world continues to plunge into a burning inferno of calamity, the air of the Southern Hemisphere warms, its leaves turn green, and the damp earth awakens. In September, spring arrives in Australia, and it begins with a new project from three sonic shamans who are no strangers to our ears. Springtime, consisting of Gareth Liddiard (Tropical Fuck Storm / The Drones), Jim White (Dirty Three / Xylouris White), and Chris Abrahams (The Necks), is as much a new sonic experience as it is a reflection on modern absurdity. Their eponymous debut album combines art rock, free jazz, poignant lyricism, experimental noise, and improvisation to create austere portraits of a world paralyzed by post-traumatic stress. Several songs on Springtime were composed in collaboration with the celebrated poet Ian Duhig (incidentally Gareth's uncle), who twice won the National Poetry Competition, the UK's most prestigious poetry prize, in 1987 and 2000. Duhig's poems laid the groundwork for the songs "Viaduct Love Suicide" and "Jeanie In A Bottle" (featuring Fiona Kitschin of The Drones), which were then transformed into sprawling songs. The live recording of their cover of Will Oldham's "West Palm Beach" is lovingly rendered. It is a monstrously delightful record. Words clash without concern for each other's wounds. Sounds emerge from nowhere to bash and brutalize their counterparts. Across seven tracks, Gareth sings with mad fury as Jim and Chris lay down strings, sparkling electronics, and airy piano melodies. Through these abstract ramblings, the new hell that will accompany the new season looms on the horizon.