Body TypeThe Sydney quartet are releasing this, their second EP, on the eve of a UK tour, another sign of the band’s rising star status on the international stage. Of course, they’ve been the local talk of the town for a couple of years, building a solid following via their own shows and some fine support slots.
If Body Type was their calling card, their first real statement of intent beyond a couple of earlier singles, then EP2 is another step forward. It solidifies their reputation as incisive songwriters and fine players. They’ve got an ear to the ground but a widescreen songwriting vision.
Opener and first single Stingray bursts from the gates with a spray of guitar notes, sparkling and cascading over the nimble rhythm section. It’s a great example of the rush of energy they can invest in their songs, the retention of the rough edges, and the economy of their songs. Pop in structure but noisy and damn catchy by nature.
Free To Air initially dials things back to a wistful and melancholic slice of dream-pop before choppy drums and their swirling jangly guitars take flight. It’s a song apparently inspired by an old neighbour of Annabel Blackman’s and his life as witnessed remotely from her bedroom. Musically the song captures that mood of both intimacy and disassociated observation. Insomnia inhabits a similar atmospheric place, the highlight being Blackman’s vocal melody, which is heavy-lidded and drowsy yet still irresistibly catchy.
Sad Wax has more of the same snake-charmer guitar lines woven into its DNA but it lacks the same impact and physicality of the other songs on the EP. It’s a pleasant enough track but it sounds under-formed as it repeatedly circles the same musical idea without building or elaborating on it. UMA changes tack with a different sonic palette. The bass comes to the fore, leading the song into grungier territory akin to Pixies with a dash of Hole. It works wonderfully, all tension and quirks courtesy of shrieks and sneered gang vocals, capping off an impressive batch of songs from a band that just keep getting better and better.
