The Accident cements the fact that Good Morning’s Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair are unsung heroes of the Australian music scene who deserve worldwide recognition.
They’re also obviously allergic to repeating themselves (think: Damon Albarn-meets-Lennon genius level).
According to the accompanying presser, every Good Morning record to date “has its small batch of instruments that make it onto every track”. For The Accident, the Melbourne duo selected xylophone, slide guitar, congas and “a setting on the Mellotron called ‘Boy’s Choir’”. Just add synth, drum machine, sax (played by Glenn Blair – Stefan’s dad, a regular Good Morning contributor), flute, trombone, insect sounds and so much more.
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Good Morning went strictly digital for the first time while creating album number eight as well, mainly ‘cause their eight-track tape machine broke. During 10 days of studio time they’d booked at The Old Carpet Factory in Hydra, the dynamic duo started laying down instrumentals in between swims and beers. And thanks to this particular Greek island’s “incredibly loud cicada population”, they also accidentally captured “a layer of hiss” – organic feedback, if you will.
The next stage of The Accident’s process went down at their mate Stella Mozgawa’s Sunfair Studios in Joshua Tree, where – fuelled by sandwiches and “La Croixs” (an American sparkling water brand) – the pair scrawled lyrics “while staring at rocks and sand” in the national park.
Then finishing touches were added back home at York Street Recorders: Australia’s oldest continually running recording studio, which Stefan co-operates in Naarm/Melbourne. This final stage was happening during the band’s PR commitments for Good Morning Seven – their previous double LP, which contains 17 tracks – in between rehearsals for their Stateside Waxahatchee support slots.
The duo’s latest single, Soft Rock Band – which runs for eight whole minutes, yet we still want more! – incorporates slide guitar and a glorious, meandering vocal melody that somehow channels New Order’s Bizarre Love Triangle: “I’m the silence, I’m the revelry/ I’m a shit-talkin’ melody…”
“Here’s another song about tryin’… Maybe it’ll make you feel better/ But if it don’t/ Well, I don’t wanna know…” – file the conga-driven A Telephone Rings beside Beck. Romance brings Let ‘Em In by Wings to mind and Perfect Fishing’s inventive melodies – discordant and forlorn – make us melt.
This isn’t to say that Good Morning’s latest set is derivative in any way – au contraire! It’s just that, among those aforementioned giants, many of The Accident’s tracks wouldn’t sound outta place if they popped up on shuffle.
Good Morning continue to follow their creative muse with a playful skip and knowing wink. There’s hooks for days and although The Accident will remain on high rotation for some time yet, we already can’t wait to hear what’s next on the agenda for these super-talented freaks.
LABEL: GOOD MORNING MUSIC COMPANY WORLDWIDE
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
