Review
It's the little details that make this groove. Only noticed the triangle (I think it's triangle?) three listens in - love how it forms a subtle harmony with the bass way down the other end of the pitch spectrum. "In between the beats" is where the guitars cut loose. Bowled, Shane.
It's the little details that make this groove. Only noticed the triangle (I think it's triangle?) three listens in - love how it forms a subtle harmony with the bass way down the other end of the pitch spectrum. "In between the beats" is where the guitars cut loose. Bowled, Shane.
Review
Ahh this is gorgeous. Fuzz bass with clean guitars and major sevenths and all things that are good.
Ahh this is gorgeous. Fuzz bass with clean guitars and major sevenths and all things that are good.
Review
Takes a lot of nerve - and skill with arrangements - to make a saxophone solo work in a pop-rock context. You nailed this and many other things in the space of three minutes. Very nicely done.
Takes a lot of nerve - and skill with arrangements - to make a saxophone solo work in a pop-rock context. You nailed this and many other things in the space of three minutes. Very nicely done.
Review
Love it when a bassline drives a song's melody as well as rhythm. Didn't see the chorus coming which is often a sign of a good one - hits you really hard out of nowhere.
Love it when a bassline drives a song's melody as well as rhythm. Didn't see the chorus coming which is often a sign of a good one - hits you really hard out of nowhere.
Review
Enjoying the H.A.I.M vibes! Loses momentum a little between the first and second choruses, but recovers well after then with the change of beat and texture. That bit of unexpected wood-ish percussion in the quiet part was a great touch too.
Enjoying the H.A.I.M vibes! Loses momentum a little between the first and second choruses, but recovers well after then with the change of beat and texture. That bit of unexpected wood-ish percussion in the quiet part was a great touch too.
Review
A thousand ideas buzzing around at once and they all link together splendidly.
A thousand ideas buzzing around at once and they all link together splendidly.
Review
The slow tempo allows just the right amount of space for the guitars to ring out with / against each other, and just the right amount of time for the daydreaming lyrics to unfurl (especially like how the generals of breakfast/lunch turn to the specifics of coffee/crumpets, a brilliant detail evoking how people plan dates - real or imagined - down to the nth degree). Really nice voice that'...
The slow tempo allows just the right amount of space for the guitars to ring out with / against each other, and just the right amount of time for the daydreaming lyrics to unfurl (especially like how the generals of breakfast/lunch turn to the specifics of coffee/crumpets, a brilliant detail evoking how people plan dates - real or imagined - down to the nth degree). Really nice voice that'll grow more into its own over time, and you guys have already got plenty going in your favour.
Review
There's a restrained sense of anger in the music which mirrors the restrained / suppressed emotions of the character being sung to. Great violin parts too - in pop it's rare for the instrument to sound this sinister, and the tension it brings is more than welcome.
There's a restrained sense of anger in the music which mirrors the restrained / suppressed emotions of the character being sung to. Great violin parts too - in pop it's rare for the instrument to sound this sinister, and the tension it brings is more than welcome.
Review
Delicious rhythms - the borrowed beat at 1:07 is particularly inspired - and surprising chord choices all throughout. The vocal melody could have branched away from the chords underneath a bit more than it did, but its restraint is effective in holding all the different ideas together. You've got the funk in you, as Gregg Alexander (almost) once said.
Delicious rhythms - the borrowed beat at 1:07 is particularly inspired - and surprising chord choices all throughout. The vocal melody could have branched away from the chords underneath a bit more than it did, but its restraint is effective in holding all the different ideas together. You've got the funk in you, as Gregg Alexander (almost) once said.
Review
Cruisy but also punchy - a difficult combination to balance! The chords jump around imaginatively, the Australian references come naturally and never feel forced, all in all a splendid little tune.
Cruisy but also punchy - a difficult combination to balance! The chords jump around imaginatively, the Australian references come naturally and never feel forced, all in all a splendid little tune.
Review
Liking the subtle bass octaves in verse 2, how the full band entry is held back for an extra bar at 0:48 ("come... with... ME"), how the temptation of a possibly superfluous extra chorus at the end was resisted and replaced by that awesome outro (how'd you get the phaser-ish drum sound at the end? in any case it sounds fresh and really gives the song an extra element). Nice stuff...
Liking the subtle bass octaves in verse 2, how the full band entry is held back for an extra bar at 0:48 ("come... with... ME"), how the temptation of a possibly superfluous extra chorus at the end was resisted and replaced by that awesome outro (how'd you get the phaser-ish drum sound at the end? in any case it sounds fresh and really gives the song an extra element). Nice stuff once again, and I'm looking forward to the album!
Review
Can't remember the last time I heard a song start with nothing but a hummed vocal melody - distinctive, and (more importantly) effective. Also refreshing to hear a rock riff centred so strongly off the beat - gives it the knack of making you want to hear it again. Just reckon the lead guitar in the part before the last chorus could've been placed higher in the mix. That's a minor...
Can't remember the last time I heard a song start with nothing but a hummed vocal melody - distinctive, and (more importantly) effective. Also refreshing to hear a rock riff centred so strongly off the beat - gives it the knack of making you want to hear it again. Just reckon the lead guitar in the part before the last chorus could've been placed higher in the mix. That's a minor point though. This is good stuff
Review
Great voice, and a nice arrangement with plenty of space. Perhaps a little too much - I reckon there would've been room for bass guitar to play a melodic role.
Great voice, and a nice arrangement with plenty of space. Perhaps a little too much - I reckon there would've been room for bass guitar to play a melodic role.
Review
(3.5 stars) Plenty to like about this one. So many songs have verses which run longer than needed, but here they're edited to perfection with a well timed transition to the chorus. Sweetly arranged harmonies, too. I just felt the song might've benefited from a contrasting part - seemed like the bridge around 1:30 - 1:50 was a tad too similar to the chorus. That's just me though. ...
(3.5 stars) Plenty to like about this one. So many songs have verses which run longer than needed, but here they're edited to perfection with a well timed transition to the chorus. Sweetly arranged harmonies, too. I just felt the song might've benefited from a contrasting part - seemed like the bridge around 1:30 - 1:50 was a tad too similar to the chorus. That's just me though. Nice stuff
Review
That opening chord sets the scene so well (out of curiosity, what the hell IS that chord? More people should use it). The kick drum accents on "killin' all the fellas" made for another nice bit of musical symbolism. Smartly written, smoothly performed.
That opening chord sets the scene so well (out of curiosity, what the hell IS that chord? More people should use it). The kick drum accents on "killin' all the fellas" made for another nice bit of musical symbolism. Smartly written, smoothly performed.
Review
I like how the bass is pushed right up in the mix - too often in modern rock it's hidden away in the corner / borderline inaudible, so it's refreshing to hear that. On a similar note the vocals might be about 10% too loud. Felt like the chorus was a bit too similar to a couple of other sections (or maybe the other way round). The bridge at 1:25 was a sweet change though - triplets are...
I like how the bass is pushed right up in the mix - too often in modern rock it's hidden away in the corner / borderline inaudible, so it's refreshing to hear that. On a similar note the vocals might be about 10% too loud. Felt like the chorus was a bit too similar to a couple of other sections (or maybe the other way round). The bridge at 1:25 was a sweet change though - triplets are an underused weapon, and they're used really well here.
Review
(actually 3.5 stars if I could) Great to hear strong instrumental performances - folk pop-ish bands aren't renowned for it, and it's definitely a strength of yours. Would like to have heard a bit more development through the choruses, especially the last - just seems to be lacking a little in variation. Getting a nice Bob Evans vibe here though- "Goodnight Newcastle!"
(actually 3.5 stars if I could) Great to hear strong instrumental performances - folk pop-ish bands aren't renowned for it, and it's definitely a strength of yours. Would like to have heard a bit more development through the choruses, especially the last - just seems to be lacking a little in variation. Getting a nice Bob Evans vibe here though- "Goodnight Newcastle!"
Review
Lots of adorable chord changes and dashes of instrumental subtlety but it seems like the song fades out just when it feels like time for a dynamic peak. Can't quite identify an alternate way, and re-writing songs is rarely worthwhile so I wouldn't do that in this case, just doesn't quite fully deliver on the promising build-up of the bridge. Still, I'm looking forward to hea...
Lots of adorable chord changes and dashes of instrumental subtlety but it seems like the song fades out just when it feels like time for a dynamic peak. Can't quite identify an alternate way, and re-writing songs is rarely worthwhile so I wouldn't do that in this case, just doesn't quite fully deliver on the promising build-up of the bridge. Still, I'm looking forward to hearing more - you're on the artist spotlight for a good reason!
Review
Cleverer AND catchier than conventional surf-pop/rock (a simplistic term but it's a credit to you that no label is really an accurate match!)
Cleverer AND catchier than conventional surf-pop/rock (a simplistic term but it's a credit to you that no label is really an accurate match!)
Review
It's not often I recommend this, but this might have been better served by being somewhat longer. The guitar solo is tightly wound in the best possible way, though it feels thrown out of balance by the sharp ending. Not a whole lot to the lyric but I'd be silly to criticise that - the song gets by on sheer driving energy, and that's most important.
It's not often I recommend this, but this might have been better served by being somewhat longer. The guitar solo is tightly wound in the best possible way, though it feels thrown out of balance by the sharp ending. Not a whole lot to the lyric but I'd be silly to criticise that - the song gets by on sheer driving energy, and that's most important.
