October 10 - Noteworthy New Releases
Our favourite releases of the week.
The tullamarines - ‘gimme luv’
The Tullamarines are seriously channelling Australia’s own Ball Park Music in their latest single ‘Gimme Luv’, taken from their sophomore EP Safety Blanket. The track opens with a tight drum groove and bright guitar, setting the tone immediately. It’s sunny and upbeat, injected with serotonin and bubbly sounds. Joining the beat with a laid-back, almost unbothered quality, vocalist Ben Waltho compliments the easy groove expertly, without dimming the shine of the percussive sounds of the track’s drums and guitar. Then softly, but noticeably comes in the bass, with a smooth minimalist hand on the back. Lyrically ‘Gimme Luv’ is cheeky, with sly lyrics “I wanna… I wanna… I wanna die, I wanna get it on” served on a platter with a wink. The verses play tennis between the vocal styles of Ball Park Music’s Sam Cromack and Royel Otis’s Otis Pavlovic, mimicking the laid-back feel from the latter, and mirroring Sam’s ability to say so much and throw so much attitude in the quiet moments, the breaths and the mumbles. But the chorus? That’s undeniably all The Tullamarines’ Ben Waltho. And while we’re over here thinking this couldn’t get any better, they throw in the curve ball of a break-down with a tight synth driven beat, transforming this into a sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs dance banger. This track screams SUMMER!
Sounds like: The song of the Summer (and Spring, and Autumn, and Winter)
Newgate Crowd – ‘Tall Poppy’
Have you heard of Newgate Crowd’s sophomore EP Unheard? Although the irony is shining if you reply with a “yes”, that is exactly the answer that should summon from your lips. And if your reply swings the other way – that is a situation you must remedy immediately. ‘Tall Poppy’, the fourth track off the EP is a personal favourite, trading blows with Australia’s blasé culture. Opening with an atmospheric whirly wind sound, it winds into a punchy alt-rock song with heavy attitude, blasting riffs and grungy bass - the sonic equivalent of standing proud and tall even when the world’s trying to cut you down. There’s a livewire energy to it all, demonstrating that this track was built to be played hard, sweaty and loud in a packed venue. The bass keeps it hard and grounded, locking in with the drums to drive that propulsive beat. Lyrically, ‘Tall Poppy’ nods straight to the Australian culture of tall poppy syndrome, the instinct to pull someone back down when they stand out too much. But instead of preaching, Newgate Crowd spin it with swagger, asking the tall poppies to stand up. This song could be the soundtrack to so many young bands lives, battling insecurity, naivety and the frustration of trying to make it in Australia.
Sounds like: That track you’re waiting for the band to play their whole set
(Good) Garbage - 'December'
(GOOD) GARBAGE’s PILOT EP is as close to a pilot TV episode you can get, each song trying something new to see what sticks. Shifting genres through each of the five EP’s tracks, it’s track 1 that we find ourselves landing on. ‘December’ is a poem wrapped in blanket layers of instrumentation. It’s a story mumbled over a dinner table. The vocal and storytelling delivery is softly reminiscent of Lou Reed’s Transformer era, and South Australia’s own Coldwave, but maintains as uniquely its own, with an upbeat nature - uncharacteristic of most songs in this style. The story unpacks the subject’s life and feelings about returning home in a monotone voice, delivered in a level manner, allowing the emotion in the lyrics to shine and drip out, like ink on a page left out in a rainy day. “Are you coming home for Christmas? / Another rainy December, restless / Recreational drugs, my best guess”. Simple but fast-moving guitar riffs compliment the story as it unfolds, with a steady drum beat acting as a grounding force. Tambourine fades in and out, adding a shimmery urgency in building moments. “Didn’t act on it / Ran out of time on it / Too much pride on it / Too much”, the vocals repeat, leading us out of the track and into the real world.
Sounds like: An oddly comforting hug from an unexpected source
Amillia Wolff – ‘Two headed calf’
On ‘Two headed calf’, the second single from her debut EP A Broken Record, Adelaide experimental pop artist Amillia Wolff crafts something that feels less like a song and more like a dream you accidentally walked into. It’s ambient and delicate, shimmering with layers that unfold slowly, like light breaking across still water, or like water lilies opening their flowers for the first time. Her delicately stunning vocals softly soar above the haze, echoey and featherlight, carrying a quiet ache that lingers long after her vocals fade out. There’s something siren-like about it; ethereal and haunting, as if she’s singing while floating in a waterlogged tunnel. The production glimmers in restraint, synths glinting and rippling, while subtle percussion gives the track a pulse that’s felt more than heard. The song doesn’t demand attention so much as it pulls you in. ‘Two headed calf’ is the kind of song that leaves you half-floating, half-holding your breath, as if you’ve dived so deep into a body of water, you’re now unsure of which way is down or up. The track serves as an exciting prelude of what is to come with the rest of her debut EP A Broken Record.
Sounds like: The sonic embodiment of an empty tree hollow in a dark forest
