There can be no greater sense of excitement and anticipation than news of a new release from one of Australia’s best bands, the criminally underrated Underground Lovers from Melbourne. And so it goes a surprise new single has just been released – ‘Passer-by’ – as well as confirmation of the release of their 10th album, to be called ‘A Left Turn’.
‘Passer-by’, sung by Philippa Nihill, represents the more grungy side of the Underground Lovers (as contrasted with their dream pop side) with guitar-based drive and a real drum thump. Nihil’s voice adds a sublime, distant almost disinterested sheen – a reverie on fleeting encounters in a anonymous urban landscape – a theme built on the hand-held Super-8 filmed video.
Every Undies release is a delight, and this is no different. The song is simple, it’s straightforward but it contains that special ingredient imbued in this band’s DNA: a sense of longing and melancholia, a capture, in song, of Melbourne itself: unpredictable, a sense of despair and a sense of joy. According to Vincent Giarrusso,“We wanted to capture the essence of the city and the fleeting moments shared between strangers in the city”.
Magnificent as ever. As with the forthcoming album, the single is produced by one of Australia’s most awarded producers, the legendary Wayne Connolly and recorded mostly in Sydney.
The Underground Lovers are playing in Melbourne at the Espy on 1 June 2019 and at the Lansdowne in Sydney on 8 June – full details here. If you are there, hurry. Underground Lovers live performances are as special as they are rare, and these dates are nearly sold out.
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