Self-examining lyrics run head-on into sing-along choruses in the snappy alt-rock anthems of Sydney quartet The Buoys. Led by guitarist Zoe Catterall’s cleanly melodic vocals, these songs catalogue the difficulties of the everyday while reliably spiking that approach with standout moments. Take the searing guitar solo on 2021’s love-shy “Bad Habit”, or the talky snideness and group vocals on 2019’s “Inside Outside”. Catterall describes the constant cage match between her rational and emotional sides on 2018’s “Arm Wrestle”, and 2022’s “Red Flags” flexes a very modern romantic awareness against a combustible pop-punk verve. Across the band’s first EPs alone, The Buoys have established themselves as one of Australia’s most exciting young rock acts.