The Truffle Pigs

Almost missed this one, as is slipped out with a quiet clatter from the Aussie wilds. Featuring a trio of familiar names, the band is comprised of Steph Hughes, Amy Hill and Al Montfort. Together the players have anchored some of the best Aussie indies over the past few years, including Dick Diver, Boomgates, Primo!, Terry, and Total Control. For the keen eye on the credits, Amy and Al also reprise their alter egos as Sleeper and Snake, another key indie outfit in their ranks. The Truffle Pigs slip clear of some of the ragged post-punk nods among their assembled catalogs, sinking a tooth or two into the kind of homespun pop that’s eked out of the South Hemi hive over the years. For those missing it, this might come closest to capturing the sublime sigh of Dick Diver. It’s been more than a decade since the band has let loose any music, but with one half of the band represented here, this might be as close as we’ve come to a whiff of that magic.

Bringing Hill into the fold also gives the band a lovely dose of harmony, and the band makes good use of it with twined voices on “Linen and Leather” and “Contract,” and “The Trial.” The vibe here is stripped back; a not-quite-folk, acoustic amble that feels like a pickup session. Yet, there’s no way that these are off the cuff. The songwriters assembled have such a keen sense of pop that they make it all seem effortless. It has the same match-light spark and ennui ache that’s endeared these songwriters to listeners in the past. There’s a bit of a bristled experimentalist in tracks like “73339,” but for the most part this is a hazy jangler packed with wit and wonder. The record reclines into the speakers, strumming with a laconic ideal that makes this an instant classic, and pushes it towards the top of the 2026 pile. Kicking myself for not coming to this sooner, but it’s lovely to have in the headphones with a chill in the air.