New Buffalo - 'About Last Night EP' (Heavenly)
3/5
By: Toby L
Australia is progressing through something of a 'cool' period. The Avalanches were arguably the dance-act of 2001, and, now, with acts such as Gerling making a comeback for the mainstream and The Vines tipped to be the next Nirvana, it's clear that some special things are going on down under. And, if there is indeed to be an extraordinarily celebratory period of Aussie acts being the 'it' thing, then you might as well rank New Buffalo within such a category.
However, this isn't because they're just like any other bands within a scene, but - instead, true to the other contemporaries surrounding them back home - due to the fact that they're cutting a trend of their own, steering towards the rest of the world a blend of infectious harmonies, touching lyrics and tantalising musicianship.
Opener, '16 Beats' - matching the volume of rhythms to be found in the turning of a bicycle's wheels, apparently - speaks of such bike-related shenanigans, as sang angelically, if simply, by the group's main force, singer/songwriter Sally Russell. It's her continually naοve-sounding vocals which supplement so much of this EP's atmospheric tendencies, which range in sounding rather autumny, as its accompanying press-release so rightly points out, as well as so radiantly evergreen ('Just A Little Time').
If these five tracks are to serve as an intro to this woman and her soul, it seems like a welcoming place to be in. Hopes are high that follow-up material will maintain the standard, but improve it by bearing an even more sumptuous production-effort. Until then, though, this just may work as a timely reminder of the strengths of reaching prominence via a hyped-up music-scene; and if that's the way more people will hear New Buffalo, fair enough - the important thing after all is just that this talent doesn't go unnoticed.
Artists in this article: New Buffalo
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment