Melbourne duo, Edward Quinn and Miller Upchurch, aka Slum Sociable, have released their anticipated debut EP, TQ, and it’s as fresh and dynamic as their debut singles ‘All Night’ and ‘Anyway’ had showcased.
The duo have worked with Tom Lansek (Big Scary, #1 Dads) for TQ, which is noticeable in the musical depth each song translates. There isn’t a common thread through TQ, rather it’s a musical kaleidoscope of hip-hop, trip-hop, jazz and acoustic electronica — but yet it all spirals and melds together neatly to produce something unique and tightly bound.
It’s a home grown album, studio produced in Melbourne, but you can still hear the rough, bare bones of it under all the instrumentals which are all played by the duo. And in turn the EP feels candid, washed out and grounded — a nod to the Australian quality that seems to charm the music of our artists.
The tracks have a vinyl warmth to it, softly crackling at the start and in songs like ‘Luck So Far’ the vintage film lingers across the whole song.
While the chords of pianos and guitars give a fitting warmth to the EP, there lingers a strange and kooky atmosphere within each of the songs, and this could be brought by the lyrics which aren’t always as light and poppy as one might assume. Like in ‘Not everything turns to Gold’, a melodic track that is given almost a reality check, “not everything turns to gold, not everyone gets to grow the way you do”.
If this a debut, then Slum Sociable are without a doubt a band to keep an eye on. Their ability to pivot around a breadth of genres is admirable. And while they could of found themselves in danger of presenting themselves without a personal sound, the duo have managed to find multiple sounds and meld them into a very unique and personable sound.
Rating: ★★★★
TQ EP is available now from iTunes with thanks to Liberation.
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