Relieved of the need to remain faithful to the folky overtones of her debut, Tara Simmons has delivered a sophomore that melts in 80s synth and California sweat.
Anchoring the album with her deft songwriting and ability to craft a single, It’s Not Like We’re Trying To Move Mountains echoes the ‘chillwave’ movement that has more recently been peddled by the likes of Neon Indian and Toro Y Moi.
The first half of the album is inspired, particularly singles like ‘Where Do You Go’ and ‘Be Gone’.
It’s as if Simmons’ criterion for the LP was to create a sound as far removed from her Brisbane abode as possible.
If so, mission accomplished.
A large part of Simmons’ appeal is to explore corners that others fear to turn. It’s the little flourishes, such as the diva outbreak on ‘Weekend Of Hearts’ and the quick-strum climax attack of ‘Love Attack’, that excel the album and lift it above the oft-clattered production.
The only time it splutters is toward the stretch.
‘End Of May’ lacks the bounce and vigour of earlier singles, with its call out of “Sydney on a winter’s day” feeling forced and more than a little cringe worthy. ‘We’re All Scared’ and ‘Found’ are similarly bereft of Simmons’ usual willingness to break the mould.
Still, with the album running little more than half an hour, these weak points are not prevalent enough to overshadow the album’s quality.
Having been released late last September, It’s Not Like We’re Trying To Move Mountains is a rather underappreciated gem of 2012.
With Summer not quite over, there’s still enough humid evenings and beachside trips left for the LP to attain the fan base it deserves.
