Album Review: Amber Isles - Running

This album is a real and pleasant surprise, from right out of left field.

Amber Isles are a Melbourne-based five-piece, who kinda defy convenient classification and are creating something all to themselves. You can certainly detect traces of influences, the languid pace and ambience, as well as some of the guitar tones and vocal approach, puts in mind a band like '80s Aussie legends Gang Gajang. They even stray into alt-country territory at times with Folds and City Waves. But, overall, Running is about as distinctive as anything you will hear this year.