Swans
I have long been of the opinion that The Rational Academy are one of the greatest undiscovered talents this city has produced. One peek at their MySpace page reveals I'm certainly not alone in this opinion, with a myriad of critics the world over singing the praises of this Brisbane-based four piece.
Anyone who caught their Ric's performance last Saturday will attest to the fact that these kids can produce musical genius when they put their mind to it, and Swans is nothing short of a masterfully concentrated effort. The band's second full-length release simmers through a luscious journey of deconstructed pop and ambient beauty, with Ben and Amelia delivering an irresistibly honeyed vocal dynamic (soft and sweet, light and shade; a dose of pure raw sex thrown in for good measure).
A certain boy I know terms this the ‘Jacaranda sound' - all purple and hazy and, by implication, distinctly ‘Brisbane'. It's a tactile feeling: old Polaroid photographs, held hands. A slow, dizzy afternoon with no regrets.
At just over 20 minutes long, Swans makes the most of every dreamy minute. The best local release this year.
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