I didn’t expect four Australian boys to steal my heart quite like the Young Monks have. Desperation for new sound brought me to travel through SoundCloud, “Bad Bad Freddy,” by the Young Monks caught my interest, and I have yet to find anything else like them.

Oftentimes, in a cry to be “original,” some artists will describe their sound in odd ways: pop garage punk galactic reggae rap. “Indie psych pop” was not a genre I had heard of, and it caused me to roll my eyes all the way to the back of my skull. Then I was swept away into this strange sound. There’s no other way to describe the Young Monks.

Deep guitars strum a simple and steady melody. The drums cause you to bob your head, and the vocals sound clear yet rough and edgy. “Old Faithful” is a song to begin with, catching their groovy-yet-indie sound in your bones. It’s impossible not to smile and sing along with the chorus.

“Jarmin in the Dark” is the song that illustrates the genre of “indie psych pop” beautifully. An Australian accent sings out a reggae tune, with layered vocals continuing the piece. Guitar strings make you feel as if you’re on a wave, and a small beat is even placed behind. “Jarmin in the Dark” almost sounds like an experiment: seeing how many small choices they can make and odd sounds can be added before it begins to sound clouded and confused.

Not only does the music feel weightless and effortless, the band themselves have fun in videos and on social media, acting in the exact way their music makes you feel. They hop around, play their guitars while laying on the floor, and smoke while doing their own little dances.

The connection makes them have a sense of being truly genuine. They are also an independent band, not signed by any record company yet, and have made a professional, different sound along with music videos despite supporting themselves.

The Young Monks provide a fun, lighthearted sound that simultaneously interests you and forces a beat into your head. This small band out of Australia has created a sound you need coming out of your speakers now.

They can be found at soundcloud.com/youngmonks.