A little rock? Surely. A little roll? That's what pebbles do. Smooth. Shaped by time. Desert rock? Surf rock? Yes, yes and yessss. Consciousness-expanding Melbourne quintet the Sand Pebbles have chose their name well. And that's just the start. They're happy for you to know there was a Steve McQueen film of the same name (the Pebbles are film buffs) and that two previous bands held the name, both more than a little psychedelic. Because they want you to look back in time to travel forward; to be armed with the history of underground cultural revolution to make a contribution to the future. And, they're leading by examples with Ghost Transmissions.

It seems a shame to have to get any more specific than that, but, well, what does this grand concept sound like? Beautiful, man! Beautiful and crazy and swinging and tough and brave and, to quote PBS' Systa BB, "heroic". Yes, the Pebbles are striding across that hot, heat hazy sand, windblown and chests puffed out because they bring, what? Integrity. Maybe even The Truth. Yes, why not? Let's allow fantasy to deliver us reality.

But what does it sound like? Oh you know, there are guitars and drums and keyboards and singing and stuff; superficially it could be called rock music. But that's just it, Ghost Transmissions is light years from superficial, conjured with open hearts, open minds, open ears, open chords and admirable competence. Able to pulse with the most rudimentary of footings with as much focus and purpose as a heart pumping blood, the Pebbles give life in the form of songs that are allowed to run free with swells and crashes and sprays of guitars and drums and less obvious sound sources. But songs, nonetheless; behold the obligatory pleasing vocal harmonies and melodies! With such spirit and structure and sound (on, I should mention the band toiled and tinkered studiously in the studio), the Pebbles have come closer to grasping the musical freedom of Sonic Youth than anyone else in this country.

- Martin Jones