This One Time, On Bandcamp: Last Living Thing

Time's a funny thing, right?

It seems like, one day, you're cranking out weekly columns trying to shine a light on under-appreciated Australian artists by digging through the treasures tucked away on Bandcamp and then, the next, you're so busy that you find it harder and harder to get around to it, and then suddenly a month has gone by and you've basically forgotten about that thing you were supposed to be doing every Sunday until your boss reminds you that they only let you outside to begin with because you promised that you'd keep doing it and fresh air is a privilege, not a right, and we wouldn't want to go back in the cage, now, would we, Mitchell?

...Wait, where was I?

Oh, right. ~~Send help~~ This One Time, On Bandcamp is back!

Last Living Thing — Melbourne, Victoria

In the interest of full disclosure, it feels necessary to own up to the fact that I've known Last Living Thing guitarist Peder Jensen for basically half my life. But even if I hadn't, I can safely say that I would have been immediately ensnared by he and his bandmates' brand of technical, math-inflected emo/post-rock/post-hardcore goodness upon hearing it for the first time, because, goddamn, do these guys have it down pat.

Rounded out by fellow guitarist Marcus Pulkas, bassist Davin Strain, drummer Alex Atkinson and vocalist Theo Saunders, the nascent outfit have crafted a remarkably mature debut EP in their recently released five-tracker, I Know What I Saw, which landed earlier this month.

Jensen and Pulkas' dual guitar lines interweave and play off each other with effortless ease, demonstrating both technical ability and creative nous in terms of knowing when to pull back and when to let themselves off the leash. The pair utilise tapping, atmospheric touches, dexterous picking and big, chunky strums alike to great effect, while Strain sits underneath masterfully holding the fort with his rhythmically engaging, melodically complementary bottom-end. Saunders' vocals are a uniformly strong centrepiece, his range and delivery carrying hallmarks recalling the inventive expression of ex-TTNG vocalist Stuart Smith and husky, warm, ever-so-slightly roughened vibes of Braid's Bob Nanna, all rolled into a sound distinctly all his own.

But (not to diminish the contributions of the other members, all of whom display copious talent across this release) the key factor here — the unwavering glue holding it all together — is Atkinson, whose snappy, fill-riddled drum lines keep things rolling along with intricacy and aplomb, slipping in all manner of joyful "I heard what he did there!" moments to unpack upon the inevitable replays that this EP will garner for fans of this style of songwriting.

Arguably most impressively: they've only been a band for all of a year, having released debut single Rosie — which features on the I Know What I Saw track list — in August 2016 after their first few months together as a unit. But, if this is what they're doing already, Last Living Thing are a band upon whom it will most definitely be worth your time keeping a fastidious eye.

For now, though, give them some love on Facebook, and enjoy their excellent inaugural works below.