Melbourne five-or-six-piece (look, it varies) outfit Gilligan Smiles had a bit of a quiet 2016, but they're looking to change that this year with the impending release of new album Friends, Away, Aeroplane, the latest single for which — Mind Tunnel Vision — is premiering on theMusic.com.au today.
Friends, Away, Aeroplane wears its roots on its sleeve, from the transparency of its title — the band, which centres on multi-instrumentalist James Becker, only played one live show in 2016, as the members' travels got in the way of more regular appearances — to the diversity of influences that rear their heads in Gilligan Smiles' music.
Pretty understandably (since everyone was apparently away), Becker himself laid down all the instrumentation for the new track, as well as handling writing, recording, mixing and mastering duties. Lauren Scalzo provided the flute action.
Mind Tunnel Vision is the first new taste from the forthcoming full-length since last May's Hopeffully, and continues to paint the album as a tangible improvement, in both songwriting and production quality, over the band's previous pursuits.
Indeed, the new track houses an array of charmingly washy, rock-solid sounds and aural shifts to keep the listener engaged and entertained, right through to its soaring, but sudden, finish.
The psych-rock explorers will no doubt look to pop their heads out for a few shows as the album gets closer, so hopefully everyone's travel arrangements have calmed down enough to make that happen at some stage this year.
To keep on top of any developments to come out of their camp in the near future, see Gilligan Smiles' Facebook page.
