(PLUS ONE RECORDS)
We All Want To – led by Tim Steward (Screamfeeder) and Skye Staniford – are something of a local supergroup, but let's be clear: local politics and musical trends play no part in the appeal of this record. From the opening line of lead-off track 'Ramp Up The Bleeding' – 'Journalists writing about journalists / Bands singing about bands' – We All Want To make their abhorrence of that type of navel gazing clear.
This is a completely sceneless record – sure, it gets loud, but it's way too sweet to be part of any rock movement; at the same time, it's far too raw to be claimed solely by folk or twee pop aficionados. It's filled with the sort of smart, timeless and unpolished pop that never goes out of style (though I suppose 'Firefighter' wouldn't sound out of place on any classic alt-rock compilation).
As you'd expect from any project guided by Steward's hand, this is a band in love with noise – not just the prerequisite guitars and fuzz pedals, but altogether more gentle and ambient soundscapes, too. All the while, Steward and Staniford's voices complement each other far better than they have any right to.
There are melodies big enough to power stadiums here, grafted onto homegrown production values; the local meets the universal. Lyrically, it's a fairly slight record, filled with Pollyannaish declarations of self-affirmation, but even the airiest numbers gain weight and power with repeated listens.
This may be the last album we get from this lineup (bassist Ben Thomson has already moved on to greener pastures) but it's a keeper.
★★★★
We All Want To Dates
Tue Sep 11 - The Zoo (Fortitude Valley)Thu Sep 13 - Black Bear Lodge (Fortitude Valley)
Fri Sep 14 - Jet Black Cat (Brisbane)
Fri Oct 12 - The Bridge Hotel (Melbourne)
Sat Oct 13 - Pure Pop Records (Melbourne)
Thu Oct 18 - Prince Of Wales Hotel (Perth)
Fri Oct 19 - The Bird (Perth)
Sat Oct 20 - The Indi Bar (Perth)
Wed Oct 24 - The Great Northern Hotel (Newcastle)
Thu Oct 25 - Yours & Owls (Wooloongong)
Fri Oct 26 - Clarendon Guesthouse (Katoomba)
Sat Oct 27 - Brighton Up Bar (Sydney)
Fri Nov 02 - The Alhambra Lounge (Fortitude Valley)
Fri Dec 28 - The Hideaway (Fortitude Valley)
