The Top 30 Albums Of 2019 (So Far): U-Bahn – 'U-Bahn'

"Devo’s legacy is alive and well." – Sam Wall

U-Bahn’s self-titled debut splices Melbourne punk with ‘80s new wave and a healthy dose of 21st century thirst. It’s heavy on synth onomatopoeias (bleeps, bloops, warbles, wub-wubs), along with plenty of found sound (pitch-shifted muttering, babies crying, ringing phones), and delivered with the musical intelligence those things need to transcend gimmick into art-punk. 

Tying it all together, midpoint track Damp Sheets starts with a dial tone, layers kitsch porno samples and bursts of television static over a pure funk groove, then segues through a ‘50s jingle into pleas for medical advice on getting rid of crabs. But, like, so you can dance to it. Devo’s legacy is alive and well and probably sharehousing in Collingwood somewhere.