The Australian quintet Surprise Chef have made a batch of records that combine slinky nocturnal jazz, rubbery funk, head-nodding hip hop, echoing dub, and library music charm; on 2026’s Frogs in a Pond, they do all those things while also paying tribute to the suspenseful music of 1970’s giallo cinema from Italy. The group stitch the songs into a kind of suite that flows smoothly from beginning to end, fitting together like hands in gloves while also being separate enough to stand on their own when extracted. They exhibit all the features needed for instrumental music to survive and thrive. They melodies need to be catchy and memorable, the arrangements must be interesting enough to stand up to repeated listens, and the playing should be top notch.

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