Album Review: Camp Cope - How To Socialise & Make Friends

It's the combination of melodic bass lines, raw vocals that evoke a deep emotional response, honest, powerful lyrics and authentic storytelling that makes the second album from Melbourne band Camp Cope so strong.

The trio are vocal and effective advocates of ending gender disparity and sexual assault within music and the nine songs on the album are rich with messages and meaning. The Opener features a riot grrrl-esque call out of misogynistic men in the music scene. "It's another all-male tour preaching equality/ It's another straight cis man who knows more about this than me/ It's another man telling us we're missing a frequency," Georgia "Maq" McDonald sings, full of frustration at hypocrisy and gender inequality within music. The Face Of God recounts an experience of sexual assault while emotional, acoustic closer I've Got You sees McDonald sing to her late father, showcasing a more vulnerable side to the Camp Cope sound.

McDonald, bassist Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich and drummer Sarah Thompson are undoubtedly great musicians and songwriters, and How To Socialise & Make Friends is a definite reflection of that.