Awash with soothing melodies and lovelorn lyrics, the debut album from Auckland’s Mali Mali, Gather ‘Round The Gooseclock, is a satisfying collection of warm, heartfelt songs.
While the opener “Pages” – heavy with piano and teasingly unpredictable chord progressions – is slightly misleading of the rest of the album’s sound, it’s the perfect opening track and alludes to influences like Patrick Watson and Fiona Apple.
The mood lifts during “Song For the Sun”, a more rounded acoustic piece that expresses Mali Mali’s true sound. After the dramatic opening it’s hard not to feel disappointed by the lack of drama throughout the record. Tolich’s vocals sometimes veer from ‘melancholy’ into ‘bored’, taking the listener along with him.
“Bury” features a delightfully ghostly lullaby melody that echoes throughout the song, adding an intense layer of mystery that sadly seems to fall victim to a lack of musical adventurousness. The music is pleasant and definitely enjoyable, and has an edge that could be magnificent if it were pushed that tiny bit further.
While the softer acoustic tracks might be somewhat predictable, the album is strong overall and perfect for a Sunday afternoon listening session. “Let Me Be On My Side” is a gorgeous tune, sandwiched between “Magnetic North” and “Good Arvo” – both very intricate pieces that add a more modern feel to the second half of the record, while maintaining an air of wistfulness.
Mali Mali provide a change of pace amongst a tumultuous musical landscape. But while Gather ‘Round The Gooseclock is lovely and instantly likeable, the mark of their success will be their ability to push those wonderful, surprising moments to their absolute limit, instead of shying away from the crescendo.
