I’m not familiar with the music in Brunei or even heard of the small nation neighboring Malaysia, but after getting to know the Surf Vampires, my interest in piqued. The band came about as an experiment with their homemade studio among friends. A few months ago, they released their fuzzy-happy debut Lush, with goth-tinted surf rock that justify the band’s ghoulish name.

“The Morning After” is a turbulent psychedelic triptych that globs together the murky euphoria of Washed Out, and the abrasive pleasantries of shoegaze. Carrying a memorable loop, a hazy warm overcast washes over a stoic rhythm section that’s a similar to a notable Stone Roses song. Featuring sinister organ-like-effects on “If So”, I could picture an image of Count Dracula hanging ten on a surfboard, crushing an ice cold wave. Falling within the “meta” of shoegaze tag, like with DIIV and Surf Rock Is Dead!, the title-track, “Lush”, is filled with movement and gusts of hyperactive guitars that are wholly entrancing.