Sprightly, fresh, wistful and reflective guitar-rich indie by the Melbourne band in this LP put together in stolen moments in between 2020 lockdowns and wildfires at a mud-brick house in the bush capturing the spirit of the lakeside location punctuated by field recordings of rain, fire, birds, and wind. The band includes three guitarists who share lead vocals, Fran Keaney, Tom Russo, and Joe White, none hogging the mic, and there’s still a consistency to the sound, which also has a nervous urgency in its jangly guitar edge. Tidal River, sung by Russo, and dedicated to indigenous peoples, captures the fragility, not just locally but of global climate change: “Ceiling’s on fire, the train’s leaving the station/It’s January and we’re on vacation,” and there are even more specific images of a poisoned landscape on Saw You at the Eastern Beach: “The petrochemical factory glitters like so many precious stones, even through the bay windows of the quarter acre homes.” Other standouts include My Echo, The Way It Shatters, the melancholy title track and the staccato Vanishing Dots. Sharp, evocative, emotional and strong. Out on Sub Pop Records.
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