Sydney locals, Prints Familiar have finally released their much-anticipated sophomore EP, Recently Searched following their first single release from the compilation, Screenshot. In addition to this, the band will also embark on an East Coast tour in support of their exciting new release. This EP follows their successful 2014 offering, Some People Will Listen To Anything, on the back of which which the band managed to burst onto the Sydney music scene.
Prints Familiar are back with further explorations into indie punk rock with Recently Searched. Think less porn history and more great indie rock.
The four-piece post-punk / pop band, begin the compilation with their most recent single, Screenshot. The tune bursts with glittering 90’s garage guitar hooks, low and resonating vocals as well as a flamboyant and theatrical qualities. The upbeat flows of the tune embellish the already underlying and comfortable indie rock vibes, making for a catchy frequency. Screenshot is lighthearted, yet also has a deeper meaning with lyrics of addiction, or obsession with a certain relationship.
The repetitive guitar riffs spin in circles, creating a circular process of the mind, almost like a reminder or alarm clock flaring as the chorus begins, sounding similar as if it could be another verse, but as the tempo picks up the chorus peeks through the cracks of the verse. The quirky lyrics keep the tune buoyant as the words spill out in the upbeat pace, “I like the eggs she cooks”, the line echoing strange obsession, but whilst projecting cute love-sick connotations. The texture thickens as the tune continues, leaving a few melodies growing in the glowing guitars, even towards the end.
Tape Recorder Mind follows on from Screenshot as it flows with similar motifs in the guitar riffs, specifically, as they seem rounded with circular repetitions, a motif continued throughout the whole compilation. The tune, although in contrast to the previous, is filled with a smooth jazz feel and a calming, indie / pop ambiance which is created through a beachy flow in the descending guitar riff.
The tempo stays constant, as does the texture, the repetition to end almost sounds as if it is a record stuck on repeat, similar to the effect heard in Tame Impala’s Let it Happen. The lyrics to Tape Recorder Mind have the ability to resonate as they glow with a simple moral, to think before you speak. The lyrics echo this moral through the drawl, “No damage this time, maybe next time it’s control I could lose” the band, not too timid to express their experience of the effects of speaking before thinking.
The fourth tune Recently Searched harks back to the indie / beach rock atmosphere previously shown in other snippets of the EP. The lyrics again contain connotations of themes such as social media, denial and toxic relationships. The catchy phrase “I can give her up, give her up anytime” in the chorus reinstates denial as the music at this point becomes frantic and fast, compared to the smooth and summery frequencies echoing through the verses. The guitar solo to end is mellow, shining with repetitions of the melody, as it descends.
To end the stunning compilation, the clear standout, The Cyclist soars high as it is effortlessly sprinkled with pop-contingent and 80’s glittering guitars with a tempo that tempts dancing from any crowd, as this tune begs to be heard live. This sound is quite circular which is accentuated in the lyrics, “Going round” as the song drifts along in circles, the riffs circulating and layering, the lyrics repeating and fitting perfectly to the texture of the tune. With The Cyclist the EP comes to a static end.
