Perth boys The Chlorines have come a long way since 2013, when a distant and experimental demo for a track called skin emerged on their SoundCloud, lacking everything except a synth-driven beat, mellow guitar sounds, and vocals by the pack’s leader Owen de Marchi.
It wasn’t bad for a demo, but there was work to be done if The Chlorines were to stand the test of time.
Fast-forward a couple of years, and the band is now filled out with drums (Thomas Freeman), plenty of guitar (Brayden Edwards, Tom Higgins, Re Ne Buello), and of course the driving force behind it all – De Marchi himself, who handles vocals, the bulk of writing and composition, as well as whatever guitar work isn’t already covered by the other three lads.
Towards the end of 2015 we were able to hear this fuller, thicker sound in action through their releases Breathe and Red Wine & Razorblades, both slower jams, but with plenty of interesting instrumentation to keep the listener content.
Coming to the modern day, however, This Thing is the band’s latest track, and it draws from styles ranging from punk, to blues, to their self-proclaimed avant-garde and post-dad rock roots. It encapsulates many of the desirable elements of their previous releases, yet musically and aesthetically brings much more to the table.
The song is essentially comprised of two central sections – the beautifully synced guitar and percussion-focused turnaround, and the verse driven by Freeman’s bass fingers and De Marchi’s Nick Cave-esque vocals, both parts equally satisfying to the ear.
The song’s final section is then a combination of these, with a jam-packed ensemble of distant, layered vocals, as well as tasteful percussion, humble bass melodies, and a complex spectrum of clean guitar rhythms.
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Perth-based music stalwart Michael Jelinek, who has previously worked with bands such as The Growl, Felicity Groom and Usuprper of Modern Medicine, was recruited for the recording, mixing and mastering duties of the track.
There’s a high likelihood that the boys have seen this decision as a worthy investment, primarily due to This Thing’s production quality surpassing much of their back- catalogue.
The artwork is rather interesting too, displaying two young individuals intimately kissing on a carpet floor, with hand gestures and facial expressions suggesting affection and satisfaction.
The song’s lyrics “I ain’t saying it’s gonna be easy, but at least we have the strength to push on through the worst and savour love” accurately captures the essence of this, revealing the graphic as a visual representation of a relationship being pushed to it’s limits, yet the involved choosing redemption and solace, solely because of love.
So have the Perth-based alternative rock outfit stood the test of time? That’s for the listeners to decide, but as far as This Thing goes, it’s an excellent track, and is sure to get the fans psyched for their debut LP, which should be well underway if De Marchi’s Little Wing Collective interview is anything to go by.
