Dune - Oh Innocence EP (19/02/2013)
Anyone with a pulse will have their attention grabbed by the infectious opening track on Dune’s debut EP Oh Innocence. Remaining steady and constant throughout, the tightly-woven bass and drums form a unique foundation on top of which an equally interesting layering of synths, effects, and soaring vocals are able to dance freely. With trancelike effect, opening track Shoestrings takes you on a journey, setting a scene for the whole EP that will push and pull your expectations from start to finish. It is little wonder this track was chosen to open; all of the intriguing features of the artist - and there are many - are on display here.
As is indicated by the song’s title, Oh Innocence conveys a feeling of longing for the past; for timelessness and purity. The song carries a sense of darkness hinted at in the intro and fully explored at its wandering end, with lyrical lamentation woven into verse and chorus alike. The most striking aspect of this song however, is the fleeting dichotomy between lyrics and music that is most apparent in its thumping choruses, where the slower, pondering verses literally drop into a beat and a groove that wouldn’t be out of place on a compilation next to Flume and Macklemore.
These two tracks depict both a sensitivity and an edginess to the artist, sprinkled with influences such as Robyn, The Presets, Ladyhawke, and even hints of Gypsy and the Cat’s first album. That she experiments so freely while ensuring nothing is overplayed or sugar-coated is a testament to the confidence and creativity underpinning the writing of the tracks.
The song Alien is hauntingly beautiful, introspective and sprawling, with vocal melody and meaning seemingly intertwined conveying a stream-of-consciousness delivery. As seems typical of Dune, right when you might think you know where the music is heading, a beat takes you confidently in its own direction.
Like the opener, Shoestrings, closing track Bring me the night is supported by drums and bass-line so tight they sound like the same person is controlling both at once.
As impressive a debut as I have come across from an Australian artist in the past few years, Oh Innocence paints a picture of a songwriter and performer with genuine talent, creativity, and an edge of ‘cool’ that is detached from any scene, and is sure to grow in prominence with exposure.
Xavier O’Malley
As is indicated by the song’s title, Oh Innocence conveys a feeling of longing for the past; for timelessness and purity. The song carries a sense of darkness hinted at in the intro and fully explored at its wandering end, with lyrical lamentation woven into verse and chorus alike. The most striking aspect of this song however, is the fleeting dichotomy between lyrics and music that is most apparent in its thumping choruses, where the slower, pondering verses literally drop into a beat and a groove that wouldn’t be out of place on a compilation next to Flume and Macklemore.
These two tracks depict both a sensitivity and an edginess to the artist, sprinkled with influences such as Robyn, The Presets, Ladyhawke, and even hints of Gypsy and the Cat’s first album. That she experiments so freely while ensuring nothing is overplayed or sugar-coated is a testament to the confidence and creativity underpinning the writing of the tracks.
The song Alien is hauntingly beautiful, introspective and sprawling, with vocal melody and meaning seemingly intertwined conveying a stream-of-consciousness delivery. As seems typical of Dune, right when you might think you know where the music is heading, a beat takes you confidently in its own direction.
Like the opener, Shoestrings, closing track Bring me the night is supported by drums and bass-line so tight they sound like the same person is controlling both at once.
As impressive a debut as I have come across from an Australian artist in the past few years, Oh Innocence paints a picture of a songwriter and performer with genuine talent, creativity, and an edge of ‘cool’ that is detached from any scene, and is sure to grow in prominence with exposure.
Xavier O’Malley