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Music

From guttural screams to sexy croons, meet the many faces of Postblue

Not many people take kindly when a band they dig shift gears when it comes to their sound. Could you imagine if AC/DC announced that they were moving into synth pop territory? You’d have Angus Young duck walking across the stage, twiddling a keytar. Actually, that sounds amazing, that should definitely happen this year. But let’s be honest, all the horn-headed purists out there would collectively have a coronary if that ever happened. Change in direction for an artist isn’t always the easiest thing to pull off, but when it does happen the rewards are abundant. Take Melbourne’s Postblue for example.

Postblue glow like crazy

Melbourne’s Postblue have shown more growth than Luke Skywalker’s beard. From grungy angst the band have reached optimistic shores, and we can’t wait to see what they do from here.

You may have heard the band when we previously premiered their single Glow Like Crazy. It’s a chilled little number,  the kind of track that lulls you into a woozy space, courtesy of those comforting lyrics and ambient guitars. The vocals are little brooding but all in all it’s a song that is punctured by optimism. The band have spoken previously for their love for alternative rock from the 80s and 90s, and those influences are prevalent on Glow Like Crazy. Bands like The Pixies and The Cure bleed through with mixed emotions on romance and finding a sense of purpose.

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However, its the band’s deeper cuts that hold the most intrigue. Their debut album I Hope They’re Praying for Me is a entirely different beast in it’s own right, and I wouldn’t blame you if you thought this was a different band. The grunge influence is sweltering on this record. You can hear the influence of genre pioneers Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, as well as Aussie heroes The Vines. The guitars drone and crash like waves against a rock in spectacular fashion. It’s a lot like local Sydney outfit Ruth Carp and the Fisheads in regards to that nostalgic alternative rock sound.

This is the kind of album to soundtrack every teenage wasteland; apathetic, weary but still harbouring plenty of bite. When you go back and listen to Glow Like Crazy afterwards however, it’s not as jarring an experience as you’d expect. Glow Like Crazy is a natural progression in the band’s sound, and in fact sounds much better once you’re familiar with what came before it. It’s a good song on it’s own legs, but the maturity shown here can only be appreciated in the wake of the entire LP. Not to mention those alternative rock sounds are still as prevalent as ever, which will make for a good live show once the band kicks off their quick tour this month. They’ve had to cancel a couple of dates, but rest assured they’ll be making those up in no time. Until, be sure to catch them on the following dates.

Friday January 8 – The Foundry, Brisbane w/ Bugs and Forevr
Saturday Janaury 9 – Double Basement, Byron Bay w/ Sunrose (all ages)