Since starting out in Brisbane in 1991 Screamfeeder have played in Adelaide more times than I could possibly remember. They’re one of the best bands this country has produced and are still going strong after three decades. 

Their brand new album ‘Five Rooms’ opens with ‘Day Crew’ – a short and sharp song that gives the album its name. The Tim Steward sung track captures the anxiety and uncertainty of living through covid and wraps it up in a catchy melody. ‘Don’t Get Me Started’ is a new wave-ish song with a spectacular Kellie Lloyd bassline and a hooky melody that will get stuck in your head. Steward and Lloyd’s vocal harmonies are effortless and a comforting presence, the kind that come about after 30 years of friendship and playing in the same band.

‘Late to the Party’ is all 90s style shoegaze guitars and atmospheric vocals. The song opens with a gloriously messy/noisy guitar solo before Lloyd’s vocal emerges from distorted and feedback drenched guitars for the remainder of the track. ‘Deirdre’ – a song about a friendship or relationship that has gone wrong because the parties have changed over time – is as close as the band gets to their indie punk origins. ‘Break it Clean’ features lush vocal harmonies and guitars with lyrics about the desire to make a fresh start. ‘State to State’ is another catchy and upbeat song with incongruous subject matter. Album closer ‘Try to Find Us’ is an intense but haunting song that poses questions about the perpetuation of the patriarchy and male violence. The song doesn’t provide answers, but it doesn’t have to. These are big questions that need to be properly examined and addressed and putting it out there is only the start. It’s a complex issue that will take time to unravel and dismantle.

Screamfeeder have been an essential part of the Australian indie rock scene for three decades now and they have nothing left to prove. They could have continued to tour off the impressive quality of their back catalogue like so many other lesser bands. Instead, they’ve released yet another superb record that adds to their already substantial legacy.

Sines’ music is both heavy and atmospheric, with a strong melodic component and clever compositions. Guitarists Matt Gelling and Caspar Hawksley bring some killer heavy riffs, but they are used sparingly, making them more effective when they hit. Their guitars are mostly used to build atmosphere and textures over bassist Lenny Regione and drummer Zed Crawford’s tight rhythm section. They can be intense, but also employ subtlety to great effect. Singer Caitlyn Hearne’s soulful voice brings another powerful and inspired dimension to the band’s sound.

The songs are excellent. ‘Survive’ begins with effects laden guitars that emulate keyboards. The verse and chorus feature a sweet and melodic vocal before distorted guitars and glitchy drums explode into the bridge. ‘Run’ takes a slow burning minor chord riff in the verse before Hearne’s chorus vocal runs through an off-kilter melody that suits the songs unsettling tone and subject matter. ‘Awaiting the Fire’ is a ballad that shows off Hearne’s impressive power and control. ‘Waking Up’ twists and turns through various permutations of distorted arpeggios and hard-hitting rhythms before an eastern sounding breakdown prefaces a descent into gnarled feedback. Stuttering double kick and locked in bass drive the song to its conclusion, underpinning vocal harmonies that blend perfectly with the distorted guitars. ‘Hold On’ has a sinewy classic rock riff that powers the verses while a melodic and anthemic chorus recalls 90s alternative rock. It’s a song of support for someone going through a rough time with mental health; ‘Rescue’ and ‘Survive’ touch on similar themes. ‘Run’ seems to be about escaping a coercive partner, while ‘Waking Up’ could be about breaking down old systems and societal conventions that no longer work. ‘In the End’ closes the album; it’s a soulful track that peaks with a shredding guitar solo.

Sines have blended disparate influences into a cohesive sound – jazz, soul, metal, alternative rock, and blues are weaved into the fabric of this excellent debut album, and despite the variety it never seems forced. This is one of the best albums of the year so far.

The title alone sets this imaginative EP apart from the crowd. The band’s name is appropriate – the music is brainy, left of centre, but also very listenable. From the brief intro it’s clear that much thought has gone into compositions that build and wind their way through many different movements. Jazzy solos slide in between melodic piano sections, rhythms chop and change with the sometimes mathy time signatures. Towards the end of track three ‘The Surface’ the band explodes with distorted riffs that hit hard beneath atmospheric keys. The song is clearly building towards something, but it’s still unexpected when it hits. Sections rarely repeat and never outstay their welcome. Track 5 ‘Cop a Bit of This One!’ features a lyrical and melodic solo that eventually shreds to a climactic conclusion. The stop-start riffs of final track ‘Smoot’ take the listener by surprise before jazzy keys and guitars draw you into the final run to the finish.

The Cortex Shift take jazz and progressive rock and blend them into something that transcends both genres. Their sound can be trippy, and there is an ethereal feel to the mellower sections of these tracks. The band has a fine grasp of dynamics and can get as heavy as anyone when the song requires it. Although the EP is divided into different tracks, the songs run together, and it feels like they couldn’t be sequenced any other way. The compositions themselves are excellent – there is much variety within the songs, and plenty of hooks and melodies sit in between the more abstract sections. This is an excellent release, and one that rewards repeated listens.

Adelaide artists have put out numerous high quality EP releases in 2022 and Cat Lucky’s ‘Darkened Daylight’ is another one to add to that list. Opener ‘Days’ is a pop song with melancholic undertones and a strong melody that has been stuck in my head for, well, days. Luigi Donnarumma’s wistful vocal carries the song, with the sweet verse harmonies floating over reverb drenched guitars and driving drums. It’s an enticing mix, and the combination of a lush arrangement and the sincerity in Donnarumma’s vocals conjures strong emotion. ‘Recharge’ is an ebullient rush of punchy drums and ringing guitars, with a classic pop sensibility. The edgy and slightly offbeat drum track gives the song a sense of forward motion that really brings out the catchy as hell chorus melody.

Things slow down and get a bit weirder with the final two tracks. The dubby ‘W. U.’ rolls along on jittery electronic drums and a rubbery bassline. Woozy vocals and guitars complete the effect. Closing track ‘Wave’ is the closest Cat Lucky gets to a ballad. It’s a slow-moving piece with irresistible harmonies and a classic pop melody. The song is about trying to stay afloat, and the instrumentation and arrangement evoke the ocean – the rhythm section ebbs and flows just like the tides. It’s an immersive track, and one that ends the EP with a sense that while things might be tough, they also might just work out.

Superb production from Matt Schultz is clean without being clinical. Guitars provide melody, texture, and atmosphere in equal measure. Effects are used liberally to enhance rather than overpower the songs. Luigi Donnarumma has built a reputation for writing strong songs and this EP of new material from his Cat Lucky project is no exception – this is his strongest batch of songs yet. If catchy and relatable guitar-based indie pop/rock is your kind of music then this excellent EP is for you.

Cover  by Emerald.

Anya Anastasia’s debut EP ‘Dissenter’ has a myriad of well thought out and poetic ideas, with thought provoking lyrics that reward repeated deep listens.

Opening track ‘Losing Wild’ entertains the idea of a world without animals, devoid of nature and therefore devoid of beauty and inspiration. A bluesy melody floats over a stomping banjo beat for the verses before moving into a more ethereal and keyboard driven chorus. It’s a pretty song but at the same time the atmosphere is foreboding – climate change is a real threat.

‘Smog & Mirrors’ features a cyclic over-driven guitar riff in an odd time signature that puts the listener off balance. The music recalls Tom Waits’ junkyard blues though the vocals don’t – they’re melodic with multi-tracked harmonies and African inspired wordless refrains. Lyrically the song seems to be about the nature of greed, how consumerism is self-perpetuating but, in the end, leads us nowhere.

‘Spinning Heads’ is a keyboard driven piece about the disorientation brought on by the pace and unrealistic expectations of modern life. In one repeated section slightly off kilter harmonies running over an unusual chord progression reiterate this disorientation. A strong chorus driven by jittery drums brings the song to peak intensity.

‘Dissenter’ is a folk song – the minimalist percussion used throughout accentuates the message of the chorus – if change is to be affected it’s up to us to act, old systems are failing now, the status quo will get us nowhere.

Final track ‘Goes Untold’ is a gentle but moving piece that explores the relationship between Australia’s First Nations people and country. Anya Anastasia’s vocals are powerful, a nuanced performance with lyrics that evoke the depth of this ancient connection to land and nature.

Much effort has gone into writing and arranging these five songs. It’s paid off. ‘Dissenter’ doesn’t feel like a debut release. The excellent musicianship of Anya Anastasia and her band have combined with crisp and detailed production (credit shared with Kiah Gossner) to produce a record that delivers strong and important messages that should resonate with many.

Zbilanc is the Maltese word for imbalance and this new album is one of two contrasting sides. The A side begins with ‘Big Rev Kev’, an amusing caricature of a redneck truck driver. It’s an off kilter take on the swampy southern rock of CCR that eventually explodes into jazzy post-punk guitar blasts between verses. ‘Zbilanc’ explores the theme of imbalance with hilarious lyrics that lambast everyone from Trump to the British royal family. It’s the most ferocious track on the album and one that leaves no doubt that the Sinners can get as wild as anyone. ‘She Swiped Left’ is a soulful take on online dating culture (Tinder’s favourite band!) with singer Steve Johnson’s tongue firmly in cheek. The music is played straight, a perfect take on 1960s Memphis soul. ‘Le Coq Roq Bleau’ somehow simultaneously makes fun of and pays tribute to guitar rock bands through history over a rollicking rockabilly beat.

Things get darker on the B side. The band turn from character driven songs to a more personal narrative. ‘Elephant in the Gloom’ is a meditation on depression; Johnson’s bluesy vocal and Django Rowe’s mournful slide guitar create a heavy atmosphere to match the theme. At face value ‘Organ Grinder’ is a gory description of a body in decline after years of abuse, but it could be a metaphor for the mental deterioration that comes with depression. It’s musically ambitious, an avant garde track delivered as a poem until the final passage where a haunting vocal floats above an atmospheric guitar line. ‘Dianne’ is another soulful track dedicated to Johnson’s mother who passed away when he was young. His loss is palpable, and it’s impossible to be unmoved by his emotional vocal. The album closes with the stunning and Velvet Underground-esque ‘Epitaph’.

Recorded with two slightly different line ups, it’s a cohesive set of songs that feel like they couldn’t be sequenced any other way. The Sinners have stepped outside of their comfort zone and created a brilliant record that rewards repeated listens. Splitting the album into two sides of opposing moods is a big risk, but it works – it’s sure to be one of the best albums of 2022.