Album Review: Outlands Deep Sea Arcade

Rome wasn't built in a day and, similarly for hardcore Deep Sea Arcade fans, it feels like all the Christmases have arrived simultaneously as they finally get their grubby mitts on their long-awaited debut, Outlands. Cutting their teeth with excellently-executed, flawless and melodically-rich singles like Don't Be Sorry and Lonely In Your Arms, the Sydney quintet once indulged a classic vintage sound not far from the likes of The Zombies, The Byrds or The Beatles at the peak of the psychedelic pop powers. Now, however, they've found their own path and one hell of a unique strut.

The opening slam of the title track and the following Seen No Right sum up proceedings just nicely, slipping between the melancholic, coolly-delivered and something a little more upbeat and poppier. Girls is up next, sneering like caged animal – still in captivity but bursting with a sexy as sin swagger and a vocal line that's both infectious and sinister. New single Steam is as composed in its steady execution and sublimely casual delivery from vocalist Nic McKenzie. Together is an airy beauty while old live favourite The Devil Won't Take You is present in rather glorious form. And just when you've thought you've heard it all, Airbulance closes out the affair with a beautiful flourish.

For long-time followers, Outlands is both everything you could want from a Deep Sea Arcade album plus much more than you'd expect. It's a dark, cinematic venture that culminates all the band's influences into one neat package and spits them out into something that swaggers like the Stones, possesses balls the size of Jim Morrison's while simultaneously sparkling with first rate musicianship, top-shelf songwriting and a cannon of ideas bursting at the seams.