Brisbane indie-psych band Cedarsmoke have just released their debut EP False Start To The Rat Race, and it’s a beautifully calm little record, rich with lyrical imagery and flowing instrumentation.
The first track, Wasteland Blues features a repetitive, colourful synth, with lyrics that speak of people struggling with life. There are some fantastic lines in this song, such as “Saw a kid sitting on the shore with a print of Ned Kelly on his Rusty surfboard/But I don’t know why a bandit is idolised more than the fucking PM”, and “Went to the ball, she’s the debutant/Like she’s got a gun they give her what she wants.”
Bad Ending is a chilled out, catchy track with a surf-rock-sounding guitar twiddling melodies underneath the vocals. Again, this song has some fantastic lyrics, with the chorus hook being particularly of note: “We can’t be happy together, I know/Don’t feel bad, it was forever ago/Erase the muscle memory in your heart/It takes a bad ending to ruin a good start.”
Hollow is another catchy number, conjuring imagery of apathetic suburbia. Just Say So is a downtempo piece with a heavily distorted guitar and bass chugging along in the background, as an instrumental melody line can be heard beneath the vocals. Again, the lyrics in this track are beautifully crafted metaphors.
This Song Kills Brain Cells starts off simple and builds. Something great about this band is that the lead guitar has different effects on it for each track, which keeps things interesting. The bass is also really prominent in this song, playing little licks, which is nice to hear!
Karma Calls is a great boppy number with an infectious bass riff! It’s a little bit reminiscent of The Strokes, and definitely the ideal track to end the EP with, with raw, honest lyrics, and upbeat instrumentation.
This EP is a must-listen for anyone who likes metaphor-laden, honest lyricism and catchy indie rock music. Give it a spin, and check out these guys before they become huge!
Listen to Cedarsmoke’s debut EP False Start To The Rat Race here, and stay up-to-date with the band on Facebook.
