Acoustic folk charmers are pretty much the go for Little Georgia’s debut album, recorded live in a farmhouse on coastal Victoria. But there are two exceptions. The first is the opening track Intro – sure, it’s a pleasant enough track filled with sprightly strums and distant vocal exercises, but with only another seven tracks to follow, a two-minute-and-35-second introduction seems a tad excessive.
Get past this and we’re hurled into bare emotion. Standouts include third track Emily, which carries a dreamy guitar tone. Lead single Forget Me is a pivotal moment with a significantly darker vibe and muffled and pessimistic vocals of the duo’s female half, Ashleigh Mannix. The end statement of, “When I die I’ll find another road”, captures the sentiment of the whole song perfectly.
California is another downplayed affair with sparse strums and Mannix’s counterpart Justin Carter taking the limelight. However, the second unnecessary moment arrives with closing track Heartbreak. Hitting the three-minute mark of the song, the vocal break repeats itself for a further two minutes, making you wonder exactly why.
These misdemeanours aside, Bootleg is a beautiful collection, showcasing gorgeous vocal synergy.
