With an international album release and a late night American TV performance spot acquired, this Ballarat five-piece are the new kids on the block heading places fast.
With only their self titled 2011 EP preceding Black Sun‘s release, Gold Fields have opted to include three of those four songs on their debut album.
The step up in production from that EP to the album is notable; Black Sun is polished and neatly packaged, ready for a mass audience to grab it.
Their unbridled percussion and enveloping synth textures separate them from their more rock tendencies, which at times is reminiscent of a more pop version of an emo rock band, thanks in part to lead singer Mark Fuller’s lighter vocals.
‘Meet My Friends’ opens with a ‘ready or not attitude’, the fivesome don’t waste any time in easing their listeners in.
Elsewhere, ‘Closest I Could Get’ emanates 80s synth goodness.
Clearly Gold Fields aren’t afraid of experimenting with several different sonic textures and for a young band to form such complex songs is rather admirable.
But lyrically ‘Black Sun’ is home to a fair amount of cheese, which leaves much to be desired. On ‘Thunder’ Fuller sings, “when everything’s wrong it feels so right, why does it take so long to find tonight?”
On ‘Happy Boy’, and ‘Anxiety’ Gold Fields demonstrate poise, the former through a slow burning gem and the latter through a macabre atmosphere.
While Black Sun manifests the band’s considerable promise, it lacks in both lyrical and sonic depth to hold you over for the long run.
