- We’re Not Talking, the new album from Brisbane based trio the Goon Sax, contains twelve tunes. The majority of these go for less than three minutes, so it’s a rapid ride through a series of sounds with a surprising level of variety.
Overall, The Goon Sax produce a comforting and soothing sound. It is sometimes wistful, sometimes weaving wordplay with a knowing wink around a sparse lofi jangle and basic drums. At times it is very reminiscent of New Zealand band The Clean in their Flying Nun heyday in the 1980s, or even Harley Young, another Brisbane based songwriter who favours the simple personal story-telling style.
There is a little bit more light and shade in these Goon Sax tracks compared to their previous offerings, but they are still clearly keen to keep the focus on the joyful feel of a simple pop song. There won’t be any five-minute guitar solos, ten-piece drum kits or fifteen-minute prog-rock opuses with operatic vocals coming from these folks anytime soon.What you do get is some space for thought and reflection, some vocals which float between talking and singing and some sweetly sad and sadly sweet songs.
The Goon Sax are all just reaching the end of their teenage years. For people who are still so young, they are very good at evoking feelings of nostalgia. It's nowhere better epitomised than in album track Losing Myself, is a sterling example and a good opportunity to lose yourself in the sounds of The Goon Sax.
- Andrew Bartlett.