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     Austin Member Username: Bruegelpie Post Number: 206 Registered: 09-2004 |
I always enjoying finding The GoBe's name-checked in reviews for other bands. I found these two recently: INDIE POP TIME AGAIN DUMB THINGS COOLIN’ BY SOUND * * * 1/2 Carrying on the winsome yet wistful guitar-pop the Go-Betweens’ Robert Forster once dubbed “that striped sunlight sound”, Dumb Things also takes an overt cue from Paul Kelly, borrowing its name from his classic 1987 song. While those influences linger over the Brisbane quintet’s second album, the band’s three-guitar chirp-and-chime gives way to some finetuned melancholy all of its own. That subtle emotional layering is key to this record’s low-key, encroaching appeal: where opener Nights is immediately springy and lackadaisical, not far off are the more subdued Carpark Daydream and Waiting Out. Sharing vocal duties with fellow guitarists Adam Vincent and James Southey, Madeleine Keinonen shines on the bright-eyed single Crash Barrier. Lyrically, these songs enshrine the poignant little moments we all know, like losing friends to the suburbs and the defeat of books left unread. -Doug Wallen Song You Need to Know: Nada Surf, ‘So Much Love’ New song from the openhearted alt-rock band’s forthcoming LP By JON DOLAN What sets Nada Surf apart is the unguarded quality of singer-guitarist Matthew Caws’ songwriting, which dwells on love, friendship, and the desire for connection with a warmth and honesty that go perfectly with his melodies, steeped in the careful prettiness of the Go-Betweens and the no-frills formal consistency of Spoon. He’s a little like a Rivers Cuomo without an ironic bone in his body, or a Chris Martin who can play half a dozen Only Ones songs from memory. Just check out “So Much Love,” from their forthcoming LP Never Not Together, a driving, elegant song about being constantly blown away by the way the passing beauty of everyday life can help free up a heavy mind. “I’ll fight to stay open,” Caws sings with striking conviction over sturdily ascending guitar churn and bright piano, the kind of sun-through-clouds loveliness that’s been picking up indie rockers’ spirits for ages. (Wonder if the review author knows about Nada Surf's great cover of "Love Goes On" from a couple of years ago?) | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 9119 Registered: 05-2005 |
Listening to So Much Love now. God, I love Nada Surf. |