The debut release from rising Sydney trio, Cameras, finally sheds some light on the dark force that is their undeniable live show, with the recorded version of their latest material almost doing them justice. Funnelling emotion and depth into any sort of recording is difficult at the best of times, let alone the type of moody, atmospheric sounds on offer on In Your Room. Expertly packaged into nine sprawling tracks, In Your Room is just as diverse in style as it grand in concept; as the vocals bounce between the effortlessly ethereal Eleanor Dunlop and co-frontman and guitarist Fraser Harvey, each track has a decidedly different feel from the last. However, far from seeming incoherent, this approach gives the record a depth and texture that act well to link all the elements into one lengthy journey from start to finish.
Opening track Polarise is an easing introduction, with Dunlop’s sweet vocals playing a key role in creating epic, broody pop, while Kreuzberg ups the ante by showcasing Harvey’s slightly haunting vocal styling’s set against urgent guitar and frantic piano. It’s difficult not to draw worthy comparisons between Harvey’s powerful vocals to those of Interpol frontman, Paul Banks in the track Patience, It Was The Truth, as his authoritative tones sounded eerily reminiscent of Interpol’s, Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down.
Regardless of influence, In Your Room is cinematic and expansive, and easily transcends the traditional notions of the genre of pop. Its sweeping instrumental moments are haunting and executed superbly, bringing the complexity of their fine musicianship to the fore, while the big choruses of tracks such as June and End Of This Line show off the band’s instinct for melodic, yet dynamic song-writing.
BY TEGAN BUTLER
Best Track: End Of This Line
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Turn On The Bright Lights INTERPOL, Fractions DECODER RING
In A Word: Atmospheric
