We The People (Swim Season) - The Truth About Fables (16/12/2015)
The Truth About Fables is the second EP from Melbourne locals We the People. Although the band has since changed their name to Swim Season, and released a new single, their musical direction remains very much the same.
We the People combine a triple j-friendly indie sound with hints of the Australian pop punk scene that was present during the 2000s—think of Antiskeptic, Stealing O’neal, and Trial Kennedy. It is an interesting mix, and there doesn’t seem to be many bands, in Australia at least, doing it at the moment. It does, however, remind me a bit of the genre explorations undertaken by Californian band From Indian Lakes, who are earning a lot of recognition in the US at the moment. In order to demonstrate this combination, let’s take ‘Engender’, the second track from the EP. The smooth, slightly soulful introduction could almost be the beginning of a song by The Rubens, but |
then the band deviates for when the chorus arrives. The instruments become considerably less sparse, and the vocals are more rough and chant-like.
‘Leon’ does a similar thing, but can be seen as a challenge to the current strain of the genre. The guitar work in the track is especially noteworthy, with lines which move away from the direction indie rock music has taken, instead retreating to a time where there was more rock, and even punk, influence.
While there may be some ground to tread for the band, the band is still young and The Truth About Fables is really only a small dose of what may come. Hopefully, the switch to the Swim Season moniker is a signpost of greater things for the band.
Nathan Fioritti
‘Leon’ does a similar thing, but can be seen as a challenge to the current strain of the genre. The guitar work in the track is especially noteworthy, with lines which move away from the direction indie rock music has taken, instead retreating to a time where there was more rock, and even punk, influence.
While there may be some ground to tread for the band, the band is still young and The Truth About Fables is really only a small dose of what may come. Hopefully, the switch to the Swim Season moniker is a signpost of greater things for the band.
Nathan Fioritti