Just when you thought you’d heard all the good tunes possible, the Aussie music scene more than steps up to the plate…
Well, it’s definitely been a wild week for those of us in NSW! No doubt our thoughts are going out to Victoria and anyone else who’s doing it tough right now. It’s been a stressful time to say the least, but we’re all in it together.
And so, we won’t make you wait any longer. Five fire tracks by local artists, coming right up! Check it below.
RISSA (Sydney/Eora) – ‘I Know Better’
RISSA slows it down nice and steady with her latest groove ‘I Know Better,’ the Sydney-based muso balancing the jazz and neo-soul soundscapes for a uplifting bop about reclaiming one’s power.
The R&B songstress revels in her butter-like tone throughout the track’s three minute runtime, influences from artists like Erykah Badu shining through as she sings atop moody keys and gentle drums. We’re also treated to some swanky horns on the hook as she throws it back to her 2020 single ‘Hold Up,’ the brass layers helping to enhance the surrounding instrumentation into a thrilling crescendo.
Her delivery of lines like “Too bad for you boy I know better” is flush with attitude that really drives home the smokiness of the tune, the muso affirming that even though she’s down to give her heart, she’s more than willing to take it back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcxbG372Yug
Charley (Sydney/Eora) – ‘Arizona’
Pop starlet Charley gives an intimate insight into mental health in her latest single ‘Arizona,’ the ‘Hard For Me’ singer letting anyone who’s struggled with inner demons know that they’re not alone, and that they don’t have to suffer in silence.
From the jump the Sydney-based muso swaps out the power-pop pastels of ‘Hard For Me’ for a noticeably edgier sonic-palette, gritty guitars and eerie synths cascading as she outlines the debilitating effects of anxiety. Naturally, her vocals are charged with emotion, the soars and dives in pitch magnifying lyrics like “Suddenly don’t wanna be here now/Heating up tryna speak out loud.”
Overall the track is the auditory embodiment of an anxiety attack, the all-too familiar catastrophizing and attempts to self-soothe in the verses and hooks all culminating in the breakdown at three-minutes in, the emotion of which striking a balance between heart-wrenching and soul-stirring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VtjUU7hf-o
Anieszka (Sydney/Eora) – ‘Choices’
Anieszka is soft and silky on her latest groove ‘Choices,’ her spiritually-infused blend of R&B and soul seasoned with a dance-heavy twist.
Texturally she’s surrounded by emotive synths and free-flowing harmonies, both of which tinged with a tropical aura. The intermingling of the sonics with her vocals are at their fullest at moments like 2:20, the delicacy of her utterances supported by the layers of the groove as they complement each other in resonance and momentum.
Thematically it’s definitely an amalgamation of past singles ‘Presence’ and ‘True,’ the lyrical content about life decisions similarly exploring aspects of the human condition, self-love and authenticity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMTK0ppzh58
Hotel (Sydney/Eora) – ‘Holy Smokes’ Ft. Obi Ill
Hotel continues to genre bend in his latest thumper ‘Holy Smokes,’ the Sydney multi-instrumentalist continuing his philosophic exploration of hope on an avante-garde canvas.
The track follows the Sydney muso as he links up with Triple One’s Obi Ill, the two larrikins letting loose in the sonic realm as frenzied guitar lines and kinetic drum patterns fire off beneath them. Lyrically the two musos are equally as brooding and fiery, Obi’s verse and Hotel’s vocalisations rife with danger as they experiment with phasing, pitch and even accents, all of which are summed up in the vocal roars around 1:50.
You can tell there’s no desire to adhere to the rules of genre or composition, rather just the desire to follow inspiration wherever it may lead. It’s consequently Hotel’s most experimental track yet, and we don’t doubt there’s plenty more on the way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE2JOEGuz1o
Gully Days (Sydney/Eora) – ‘Don’t Even Know Me’
Bondi’s very own Gully Days dig deep on judging a book by its cover in their latest offering ‘Don’t Even Know,’ the alternative four piece doubling down on their indie roots for a little lesson in humility.
The guitar-driven offering sees local musos go ham with electric guitars and clattery drums, the overall arrangement paying homage to the 2000s indie bands that we’re all too familiar with. Frontamn Ethan Eshuy’s vocals are especially moving in this cut, the vulnerability of his tenor tone on full display as the band leans into a more melodic-driven sound as opposed to their signature high-energy sonics.
It’s no doubt one of the more personal songs Gully Days have released, the title lyric ‘Don’t Even Know’ reaffirming that although they love a good rager, they’ve got the emotional depth to match.
