_The Getaway Plan - Requiem (05/12/2011)
_
It’s been a rough couple of years for
Melbourne’s The Getaway Plan. They split up not
too long after releasing 2008’s Other Voices, Other Rooms – which shoved them into the limelight – only to regroup a year and
a half later in late 2010. Now they’re back with their new album Requiem, which was released in early November by We Are Unified.
On top of the stress of producing an album that will out-do the last, the quintet must also prove to critics and fans alike that their reformation was not a quick cash in, a tough job for a group with notoriety for instability.
It’s obvious that the boys have taken time to really discover their voice whilst pleasing their producers and without selling out as yet another rock-turns-pop boy band.
In some ways the album is quite different to ‘Other Voices, Other Rooms’. Matt Wright’s screaming takes a backseat at the risk of disappointing fans although the quality has improved massively nonetheless. Their sound is a lot more rendered and polished in Requiem yet remains raw at the heart. The Getaway Plan generally keeps the dark undertones in the newest release – something that has become a bit of a trademark of theirs. It works well for them; they turn the themes into miniature works of art rather than making them a conglomeration of teen-angst and unrequited love.
As a band, their sound has matured and improved significantly. They have successfully toed the thin line between pop and alternative rock without compromising on quality. And when I mean “compromise on quality”, I’m talking about how the songs aren’t utterly saturated in synthesised and auto-tuned bullcrap (in saying that, I hope they can deliver in live performances otherwise I may have to eat my words). It’s easy to image some songs being played on mainstream radio whilst other songs allow the band to keep fans of their older, heavier music.
The LP itself starts undeniably strong with ‘The Reckoning’ being a hit that will pump up fans. After a couple of tracks the album slows down – ‘Move Along’ and ‘February’ leave the album at risk of being too ballad-y for the once post-hardcore band but you don’t have to listen hard to hear that the songs are actually quite beautiful. But for the fans of the early TGP, Requiem doesn’t go without a bang. ‘Heartstone’ and the title song both rekindle the earlier and darker tones of The Getaway Plan and are five-minute testaments to the power of Australia’s alternative music scene. Bloody hell, they’re good.
All in all, the album is something the band, the record company, and the fans can be proud of. Playing early 2012 at Big Day Out, I would be extremely surprised if the band doesn’t pull a large crowd. The album has basically everything for everyone without compromising on what the band members themselves want. Requiem isn’t something that is released very often – it’s the epitome of what used to be good about Aussie alternative music. Let’s hope this album will start a sound that will become the norm once again.
Olivia Fusca
On top of the stress of producing an album that will out-do the last, the quintet must also prove to critics and fans alike that their reformation was not a quick cash in, a tough job for a group with notoriety for instability.
It’s obvious that the boys have taken time to really discover their voice whilst pleasing their producers and without selling out as yet another rock-turns-pop boy band.
In some ways the album is quite different to ‘Other Voices, Other Rooms’. Matt Wright’s screaming takes a backseat at the risk of disappointing fans although the quality has improved massively nonetheless. Their sound is a lot more rendered and polished in Requiem yet remains raw at the heart. The Getaway Plan generally keeps the dark undertones in the newest release – something that has become a bit of a trademark of theirs. It works well for them; they turn the themes into miniature works of art rather than making them a conglomeration of teen-angst and unrequited love.
As a band, their sound has matured and improved significantly. They have successfully toed the thin line between pop and alternative rock without compromising on quality. And when I mean “compromise on quality”, I’m talking about how the songs aren’t utterly saturated in synthesised and auto-tuned bullcrap (in saying that, I hope they can deliver in live performances otherwise I may have to eat my words). It’s easy to image some songs being played on mainstream radio whilst other songs allow the band to keep fans of their older, heavier music.
The LP itself starts undeniably strong with ‘The Reckoning’ being a hit that will pump up fans. After a couple of tracks the album slows down – ‘Move Along’ and ‘February’ leave the album at risk of being too ballad-y for the once post-hardcore band but you don’t have to listen hard to hear that the songs are actually quite beautiful. But for the fans of the early TGP, Requiem doesn’t go without a bang. ‘Heartstone’ and the title song both rekindle the earlier and darker tones of The Getaway Plan and are five-minute testaments to the power of Australia’s alternative music scene. Bloody hell, they’re good.
All in all, the album is something the band, the record company, and the fans can be proud of. Playing early 2012 at Big Day Out, I would be extremely surprised if the band doesn’t pull a large crowd. The album has basically everything for everyone without compromising on what the band members themselves want. Requiem isn’t something that is released very often – it’s the epitome of what used to be good about Aussie alternative music. Let’s hope this album will start a sound that will become the norm once again.
Olivia Fusca