The debut 7-track from Keep On Dancin’s comes straight of a Lynchian fantasy with swampy guitars and echoed vocals that brings a promising sound for the Brisbane quartet.
Released digitally and on cassette, the equally heartbreaking and romantic first release from Brisbane wuartet is a 90s flashback in more ways than one.
Black Lassie opens with a dark and epic cover of Custard’s ‘Nervous Breakdance’ that has vocalist Jacinta Walker channelling all things Mazzy Star and the Dum Dum Girls’ Dee Dee Penny complete with jangly guitars and heartbreaking sorrow.
‘Last Bus’ is pulsating and bittersweet with its sluggish repetition of lines “so come on, come on, come on,” which somehow makes this track the most uplifting single on a very poignant album.
Spaghetti western vibes run free on ‘Feathers’ that evokes a kind of surrealist dream sequence with a haunting surfy guitar line that echoes throughout the track.
‘Senator Steve’ is dirty in a red-light heartbreak kind of way, with the ever-present tambourine taking over and drives a hazy swaying beat throughout the instrumental interlude.
Slow-burner ‘Grouch’ is tight at almost three minutes of dark woozy haze, with a lingering and loud guitar melody overpowering the delicate vocals in a vexing yet mystifying way.
Closer ‘The End of Everything’ is paralysing in its gentle heartbreak, with delicate instrumentation working perfectly alongside a slow-dance style vocals that finish off a wistfully sad release.
The Brisbane act has delivered a surprisingly mature collection of dreamy surf-pop complete with a heavy chunk of blues and affection. Black Lassie will take you on a melancholic trip back a decade or so to lazy days and burnt hearts, but you’ll enjoy every single bit of it.
