Following their 2014 self-titled EP and a national tour, Broads have released their debut album. Broads comprises of Kelly Day and Jane Hendry, two ladies with a strong background within Australia’s music scene, yet their music, and this album, has its own distinct flair. Titled Vacancy, this album is an eclectic mixture of feverish lyrics with the duo’s signature noir-country sound.
The album is an impressive accomplishment in its ability to balance themes of longing, regret and morbidity with strong vocals, sparse yet finetuned melody and a splash of dark humour. Opening track Green Screen seductively draws the listener into a state of tranquillity while opening the album’s overall discourse on the space between reality and our own perceptions of reality. The bittersweet melody continues throughout the album with a blend of strong vocal harmonies, musical accompaniment and distinctive lyrics. Can’t Stop Thinking combines a soft acoustic sound with a unique take on manifesting thoughts of mortality and death. The album finishes strongly with How the Mighty Fall, which coats this well used phrase with an unusual tone of irony.
By Rose Maurice
