Gang of Youths are a special band that I hold close to my heart. No other band currently active in Australian indie rock has quite perfectly nailed the balance of intelligently intricate lyricism and an emotional potency that is often as devastating as it is hopeful. I first got into the band through their sophomore album - 2017’s Go Farther In Lightness – during a dark part of my ... read more
One of the best musical acts I found out about this year was the American synthpop duo Magdalena Bay and their debut album, Mercurial World. It’s likely that I wouldn’t have heard of them if not for the overwhelming praise I’ve seen for this album on several Internet forums, but in a strange way, it makes sense to me. After all, take one glance at their album cover or have a look over at their music videos and you’ll see that ... read more
When one presses play on GLOW ON, the third album by Baltimore outfit Turnstile, it may come as a surprise that the first thing that is heard on the opening track “MYSTERY” is a dreamy bed of atmospheric synth arpeggios, leading in before the main riff blows things wide open. For me, it’s an interesting introduction to a band that is hardcore punk at its core but has inspiration unbound by genre, which has led fans of ... read more
Sam Fender is an artist that has had my attention since 2019 when he released his impressive debut, Hypersonic Missiles. His brand of indie rock sounded stadium-sized massive and felt emotionally honest in a way that gained comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, The Killers and even Australia’s own Gang of Youths. With the pandemic happening in the years since his debut’s release, Fender found himself returning to his hometown in the ... read more
While their self-titled 2019 debut album only really showed up on the periphery of my radar at the time of its release, Melbourne’s Amyl and the Sniffers made quite the impression on me with their sophomore album, Comfort to Me. Where the debut seemed to pride itself in its raw and scrappy back-to-basics approach, this album sees the band turn things up to 11. Guitarist Dec Martens puts emphasis on shredding memorable riffs and tapping face-melting ... read more
Ever since she won the Triple J Unearthed High competition with her amazing ode to romantic daydreaming “Drive” in 2016, Sydney’s Gretta Ray has shown to be one of Australia’s most vivid pop songwriters. Five years on, she shows a mature progression into bigger pop star ambitions with the release of her debut full-length, Begin To Look Around. As I mentioned before, Taylor Swift stands out as one of ... read more