Last week, Skep Wax Records (run by Amelia Fletcher & Rob Pursey) released their new compilation ‘Under The Bridge’. Essential listening for any Sarah Records fans, it’s made by all the bands which made the label iconic. Some are under new guises but the personal and therefore, the love, remains.
Images courtesy of Skep Wax Records.
This week we will be reviewing our favourite tracks. Today we focus on Aussie indie pioneers Even As We Speak. Their offering, ‘Begins Goodbye’ jumps right back into the much-loved sounds of ‘Feral Pop Frenzy’ with infectious vocals and unexpected twists.
Musically, they tap into the sauntering sonic of ‘Going Down To Liverpool’. They bring The Bangles’ enriching girl group harmonies towards their penchant for wistful guitars resulting in a genius breakdown and blissful conclusion.
However, this is not a simple rehash of classic indie-pop. Where The Bangles youthful exuberance raced through city nightlife, Mary Wyer’s vocals feel more in tune with hazier suburban landscapes on this sage yet still an adventurous piece of advice.
Whilst the evanescent energy of their classic ‘Falling Down The Stairs’ is musically reawakened, lyrically, its essence presents itself as a wiser arm around the shoulder for anyone lost midlife. Wyer’s sun-kissed beauty recognises the problems (“our lives get small and our dreams get compromised”) but, shakes it off with such positivity “nobody knows what tomorrow may bring”. Not all clarion calls sound like The Clash!
The guitars have such purpose throughout, from angelic to rip-roaring road movie climactic scenes, it’s impossible not to be moved by this single!
The album is avail;able to buy on Skep Wax’s Bandcamp page
You can catch most of the bands at their two all day gigs this April. Click the image for tickets:
