You’re going to have to trust me on this one.

Here at Reverb Raccoon, we have a Special Ability to listen to a fuzzy, lo-fi, one-take demo and hear the notes of talent that the mainstream music bloggers either miss or disregard. I was the lone voice who, back in 2014, proclaimed, “I have seen post-grunge alt-folk country dream pop future and its name is Wormbag.”  I stand by that judgement since Wormbag has done nothing to prove me wrong. After that post, I received an email from an unhappy reader who suggested that I should “go back to reviewing Raina Rose.” I like Raina Rose, but she’s no Wormbag.

Today we feature “2021” by Garage Goblin. I knew that “2021” was SOTD material because, while inhaling the miasma of new arrivals on Bandcamp, I kept going back to listen to this one. Why? Because I like it. And if I like it, you have to like it too because I am The Arbiter of Good Taste.

The kinda-bouncy opening and the adventurous melody caught my attention. As a Certified Music Journalist, I’m obligated to throw at least one obscure reference into every review, so I’ll say that the melody and chord changes brought to mind Alex Turner’s work on the Submarine soundtrack. The lead line that flows through the entire song as a counterpoint to the vocal needs to be cleaned up a bit, especially at the end, but it’s a valid effort that shows great potential.

And here we find that the featured track no longer exists on Bandcamp. Thanks, Garage Goblin, for screwing up my blog. No soup for you! Just kidding: these things happen.

“2021” is from the 3-track EP, Ennui, released March 10. Garage Goblin, from Los Angeles, comprises Shidasp Parvaz (guitar/ vocals), Carson Capps (bass), Dylan Lyman (drums), and Jordan Barclay (production). Shidasp, Carson, and Dylan previously turned up on Bandcamp in the guise of Hedgehog in the Fog. “Carolina Reaper,” released in 2016, is a good representation of the band’s sound.

Shidasp was kind enough to give me some background on “2021” and the EP. “Garage Goblin is my first solo effort,” he told me in an email. “Carson laid down the base track because I’m left handed and without base, and Dylan kind of just asked to play drums over the beat I made for ‘2021.’ And I’m a big fan of Submarine.”

Ennui is not available for download on Bandcamp. You can support deserving independent musicians like Garage Goblin by listening to their tracks and downloading a few of your favorites.

Full disclosure: I am not a Certified Music Journalist.