The Gong has seen some quality acts emerging from its sleepy town. Bands like old mates Shining Bird and Hockey Dad have well and truly led the charge, and maniacs like The Pinheads have made a huge impression after exploding onto the scene earlier this year. So if you find yourself asking for more cool Wollongong acts to check out fellow locals The Maze are another band you need to look to, and if you had to start with any of their tracks it may as well be their newbie Evil Sucker.
Emerging from The Gong with plenty of charm and gusto The Maze reveals their latest single Evil Sucker, a tantalising taste of their sophomore EP.
The five-piece have done well for themselves since forming in 2010 and releasing a pretty decent EP back in 2013. They’re a band of the indie-rock inclination, something that has won them plenty of popularity with singles like Mary (You Know Me) and Feet On The Ground. Evil Sucker continues to see the band evolve their sound further, an element of pop becoming far more prominent than before. The melody is catchy as hell, Zach Gervaise’s vocal hook will worm its way into your brain with ease. A little raspy and packed with attitude, it’s the conductor for the parade of pummeling riffs and crashing drums that follow.
It’s a high energy song, yet its energy seems out of sync with the narrative being told. The Maze have always focused their music with an element of sly introspection. We’re faced with a man who is facing a cross roads, someone who is at odds with himself and the world around him. “I can feel the sun and the breeze / Gotta push them out” Gervaise sings defiantly, seemingly not content with having to choose between to two.
https://soundcloud.com/the-maze-1/evil-suckerwav/s-2MrQK
It’s the duality between the playful melody and the frustrated subject matter. There are elements of the early indie-pop movement that began with The Killers and The Strokes, both of whom expressed such duality really well. While it’s good to see The Maze get sonically closer to their inspirations they manage to inflect their own sunny and fun loving disposition throughout the track. It ‘s an endearing quality, and slowly but surely is giving birth to a sound that is uniquely their own.
Following Mary (You Know Me), Evil Sucker is the second taste of the band’s sophomore EP which looks to be released sometime in the new year. Until then, you can catch the boys at The Factory Theatre for their official single launch show on December 17. Be sure to get down, it’ll no doubt be a cracker.
