Album Review: Children Collide

From the opening capo adjusted EQ pedal effected bass line of The Flat Earth to the closing tremolo picking of Tired Eyes, Children Collide's third record, Monument, is a sprawling voyage of psychedelic eeriness and galactic motifs. Singles Sword To A Gunfight and Cherries provide a strong dose of rock to get things started and help fans become reacquainted with Children Collide's more radio-friendly music.

But it's on less overtly assertive tracks that Monument really finds its stride. Ripe and somewhat mellow songs, Black Lemon and Praying For Sunshine, really open up the record; creating a spacious environment and allowing the various guitar effects and singer Jason Mackay's voice to have a richer impact. The vigorous Prussian Blue pays homage to both Nick Cave's Shivers and Phil Collins Sussudio via its opening line, “I've been contemplating su-su-sussudio”, a nice touch considering frontman Jason Mackay's involvement in triple j's Straight To You tribute to Nick Cave. Meanwhile, Summer Assassin sounds almost Kasabian-like during the softer moments of Velociraptor. The record fluctuates between Children Collide's customary high-energy songs and these less jarring counterparts; reengaging the listener with each momentum shift.

Ultimately, Monument develops on the band's now established rock-a-delic sound. Mackay's lyrics often invoke otherworldly imagery, exploring cosmic concepts while the outer atmospheric music floats through the void of space, bouncing its signal off distant planets and echoing back through your speakers. The Melbourners have continued to mature as songwriters and after three records have established their niche both sonically and physically within the Australian rock scene.

Children Collide have created a record that is deeply embedded in their identity while also expanding the possibilities of their music. Monument is sure to grip existing fans while also causing new listeners to gravitate towards them.