The Bats come out with their guns casually blazing on their ninth studio album, The Deep Set. 20 years on, The Dunedin lifers can still produce a collection of songs replete with pop pleasantries and full of wistful whimsy.
Opener Rooftops shifts fluidly from sad indie pop to an uplifting chorus that morphs into a crescendoing climax with escalating guitar interplay and string work accentuating the anthemic grandiosity. Busy is a quaint pop song in line with their historical lineage; affected, twee and wanting. Walking Man abounds with shimmering lead breaks and luminous harmonies infused with hints of melancholia.
Roberts Scott’s patented voice is simultaneously calming but with depth and noticeable nuance on Rock and Pillars, the soothing melodies abound like inviting warmth you can get lost in. Lingering strings, jangle-less guitars and shuffling drums give Shut Your Eyes a noirish folk aesthetic, making it the most somber inclusion on The Deep Set.
Self assured and confident in their characteristic sound, The Bats are still moving forward, incorporating new elements into their music but doing so at their own lazy pace.
By Krystal Maynard
