Sachet - Taipei Learner CS

Sachet return with Taipei Learner, a new six-track cassette EP and the final dispatch from their pre-pandemic vaults. Following 2023’s The Seeing Machine EP - described as “sharp, swerving pop with a beating heart” (Post-Trash) - Taipei Learner again showcases the band’s melodic restlessness, this time with even more tonal variety and lyrical zig-zagging.

Across its short runtime, the EP covers a lot of ground: opener and lead single The Source launches with raw, econo energy and a chorus that skewers misinformation with riffage and bite - “Has the mark of / something I can trust, I can throw / at whoever is missing the point.” Next up is Mr Hedgey, a jangly toe-tapper and oddball ode to captive hedgehogs. Tracks Sidler and Brand New Star come in under 90 seconds but don’t feel slight - compact worlds of hooks, heartache and humour. Oyster 101 muses on aesthetics and molluscs with verbose glee, while the closer Not Having a Go is a bristling duet about societal slackers.

Still impossible to pigeonhole, Sachet’s sound marries propulsive rhythm (Kate Wilson), melodic push-pull (Nick Webb and Sam Wilkinson), and Lani Crooks’ unmistakable vocal and lyrical presence. It’s pop with a puzzle-box heart - full of left turns, chewy words, and sly satire. With two albums (Nets, Portion Control) and now a second post-album EP, Sachet continue to make rock music that rewards close listening and finds new ways to surprise. –Tenth Court