Review Summary: Paul Dempsey proves once again that hopeless depression is beautiful.
Echolalia was the first SFK album I heard. At the time, I was thoroughly impressed. I still am, but given the number of Australian bands I've been listening to (read Silverchair, Powderfinger, Wolfmother, er... Jet) that impression has been measured.
Paul Dempsey thorough hopelessness as a 'happy' singer gives SFK something that no other Aussie (or for that matter, indie) band can claim... poetic depression. It's no secret that Dempsey and SFK are brilliant songwriter's, but what sets SFK apart is just the absolute and resolute despair with which the music is constructed. Which is not to say then that SFK falls into the ever popular 'depressing alt' genre of music. The music is edgy, truthful and though not obvious in the 'obvious' sense of the term, but fairly 'accessible'.
Desert Lights is the Melbourne outfit's fifth outing. It was released in mid-2006 and since then has been certified Gold in Australia. The album as a whole is much darker than it's predecessors and one can credit this to their new producer Brad Wood, replacing Trina Shoemaker. It's melodic pop at its best, but much moodier and a little less 'produced'.
Dempsey can be raw and thought not menacing, can definitely hit the lows well enough to complement the grunged out guitars. On the opener California, he sings "It's a beautiful life" almost forcing you to believe his sarcasm. Or is he forcing himself? It's obvious that the band has taken time to make this a lot more 'thoughtful' a production than their previous efforts. The song construction is more or less the same but increasingly raw and unpolished. The album is like a growing wave that reaches its crescendo near the end but is sweeping and large enough to crash hard and loud. Transparanoia has everything you'd expect from a post-grunge, alternative anthem - the marching snare, the crashing cymbals, the distortion laden riffs.
"Is it the voice of irony and boredom fighting it out for first place". Statues and Washed Out To Sea provide the album's grand finale. The experience is complete without either boredom or irony and what makes it worthwhile is the fact that the second listen sounds even better.
