What a pleasure it is to give an album a spin after enjoying its lead single and finding out the whole lot is as good as the thing that brought you here in the first instance. Such is the case with Hello Friends, the excellent second album from Summer Flake aka Melbourne-via-Adelaide musician Stephanie Crase (formerly of Batrider).
The instantly-familiar ’90s guitar-pop sound of Shoot and Score provides a good indication of what’s to be discovered across ten tracks. At first it all sounds so sunny and warm, but there’s darkness just out of shot at many points and Crase is often in a scathing mood. Opener Son of a Gun finds her in such a headspace, but it’s more contemplative than combative; Make Your Way Back to Me is part Sonic Youth, part dream-pop transcendence; the distortion-driven Wine Won’t Wash Away is a highlight; while the slow, gentle guitar lines and reflective lyrics of Tumbling Down and So Long are no less engaging.
Crase’s skill is in making it all seem effortless, whether it’s coldly dissecting those around her, switching from loud to quiet à la the Pixies, or peeling off an epic solo. There’s a lingering feeling she’s not really taking it too seriously, which only adds to the appeal. The musical reference points are clear, but it’s Crase’s contradictions that make this such an appealing collection of tracks, and there’s much more here than meets the eye.
BY PAUL MCBRIDE
