Sydney-based band Backyard Soccer have released their explorative second album, Backyard Soccer 2.
If Frank Zappa and Syd Barret’s baby grew up in Sydney’s inner west this would be the result. Melting elements of country, indie, avant-garde and lo-fi, Backyard Soccer deliver a strange, yet brilliant experimental body of music.
Backyard Soccer 2 is a genuinely interesting listen, shaped by its warped lo-fi sound and glued together with a D.I.Y ethic.
Formed deep within Sydney’s suburbs the trio strived to make pop music. However, due to a lack of formal musical training and more than a pinch of genuine creative talent they fall thankfully short, landing instead on a product that pushes creativity to its absolute extremes.
As a result Backyard Soccer rely on desire and passion to create. The result is an inventive and imaginative work, highlighted by strange lyricism provoking some seriously interesting imagery and, to be honest, feelings.
Whilst the first few tracks sound like the fractured thoughts of a schizophrenic recorder student, the album coalesces into some genuinely interesting and well written moments of music. Pink Starburst Withdrawal Syndrome is a standout with its baritone poetry and trippy changes.
Drawling spoken word wanderings like Each Other and Shame, procure unique feelings of meandering through a distorted dreamscape soon to be shattered by the morning light. However, first light never quite arrives.
The songs, whilst engaging, never quite peak or release, and that is undoubtedly how they were designed. As a result, we are left in pre-dawn darkness which is best experienced with the album on loop.
One of Backyard Soccer 2’s most redeeming and endearing features is its D.I.Y texture which lends the work its handmade quality. The three young writers, Leo, Vladimir and Marko have spent an inordinate amount of time pulling some pretty unique sounds for this release, a highlight of which is found at the end of Animal Farm. In fact, the significance of Backyard Soccer 2 is that it was released exactly four years after its predecessor.
So if you’ve got a spare moment and want to hear an interesting and engaging creative journey, Backyard Soccer 2 will no doubt get you there. Listen above.
