<p><span><span>- Composed of members from <strong>Tape/Off, Glows</strong> and <strong>Total Pace</strong>, Gold Stars' debut album <em>Noise Bridge</em> is an exciting release for devotees of the Brisbane rock scene. And while the line-up is familiar, there's something unique about this noisy, atmospheric release that has me hanging out for the chance to hear it live, in some imagined future where we can stand up at gigs again.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>On the whole, the album feels considered, but never too polished. Industrial sound effects layered throughout ground it with a strong sense of dimension, and there’s lots here for fans of <strong>Ben Green</strong>'s rich vocals and curious, poetic lyrics. On the surfy, down-tempo song <em>Rocks</em>, his delivery evokes something like <strong>Craig Dermody </strong>(of <strong>Scott & Charlene's Wedding</strong>) as he sings <em>"Standing on a beach, hold me like a postcard / I said "I wish you were here"</em>."</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The record is jam-packed with grungy, fuzzed-up walls of sound - propulsive basslines from <strong>Phil Laidlaw</strong>’s Fender VI, angular guitar riffs from Green and <strong>Branko Cosic</strong>’s signature, powerhouse drumming. The songs <em>Glue, Bridge, </em>and <em>Gun, </em>all clocking past the four-minute mark, give these guys the space to really experiment with texture, light and shade, building to a frenetic climax, only to pull right back for quieter, compelling moments which linger in your mind. Complex melodies and oblique lyrical vignettes of people and places emerge from the haze. On <em>Gun</em>, it’s “<em>a sky of honey and a sea of grass”. </em>On <em>Valley,</em> it’s Green singing that “<em>you're here and I am listening, and it's all I ever wanted.” </em>The images are so zoomed in it’s difficult to decipher their context, which is maybe what makes it so easy to relate to them.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>While this record is the first release from Gold Stars as a unit, the work of chiaroscuro is the product of its members’ vast musical experience. <em>Noise Bridge</em> rewards the listener beyond first listen, and foreshadows what I’m sure will be many glorious and sweaty Valley nights in the future, when it makes it to the live stage.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Aleisha McLaren.</span></span></p>
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