Lower Plenty are a Melbourne-based quartet of indie musicians. They recently released their second record, Hard Rubbish, in early April. The album starts off with “Work In The Morning.” This track shows the interesting dynamic between the band members. While female vocals “woah” in the background, the male lead speaks over the acoustic guitar. The use of dual vocals can also be found on “Strange Beast,” which also has a short solo near the end that adds to the feel of the song. Each number is unique in its own way, with the band switching up who sings on each one. Songs like “Friends Wait” and “How Long Can A Punk Get” feature acoustic guitar chords and male vocals. Sarah Heyward sings on “White Walls” and “Close Enough.” The latter is seemingly experimental with a mix of percussion instruments that set the mood for the track.
There is a distinct sound to this record that can be heard on “Dirty Flowers.” While the acoustic guitar chords are being strummed, the electric guitar provides feedback in the background. “Nullarbor” is a fantastic guitar tune with the alternation of picking and strumming of acoustic chords. The electric solo lays well on top of the chords. My favorite on the album is “Grass.” Heyward sings lead again and the music is the catchiest on the record. The clean guitar playing works well with the drums and the finger picking pokes out of the background. Being recorded on reel-to-reel in virtually one take, Hard Rubbish is truly special. There is a distinct atmosphere created with the instrumentation on this record that stands out. Lower Plenty’s ability to work flawlessly together allows for this experimentation to work well.
In A Word: Adventurous
