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Hailing from the Blue Mountains Twelve Point Buck is an indie rock four-piece with a unique sound that drifts effortlessly between ambient alt rock drones and playful indie pop.
The Blue Mountains’ Twelve Point Buck kick ass with their impressive concoction of nonchalant pop and dark sonic rock. Catch em at Five for Five at OAF.
Initially formed in 2014 as a solo project the group has since expanded to a full four-piece comprised of close friends Willis (drums), Ashley (vocals, synth) and cousins Tahn (guitars, synth) and Brandon (vocals, synth, guitar). The group have been creating a lot of buzz since the release of debut EP Boris in March this year. The EP is named as a tribute to Boris, an enigmatic self-proclaimed ‘redneck audio engineer’ who invited the group to record free of charge at his mountain studio in idyllic Kanimbla after meeting the band at a Richard in Your Mind gig.
Taking advantage of Boris’s vintage recording gear, including Australian made amps from the 60s, and the ambient nature of the recording environment, the group have sought to take the subtle atmospheric and experimental elements of their music to new places on their latest EP. Smaller quirks such as the laughter of Tahn at the end of the track Callie have also been left in to convey a more genuine vibe as well as capture the close-knit and easy-going dynamic of the band.
From their inception Twelve Point Buck has established their proclivity for ambient textures and sonic experimentation as can be exemplified by early track Whale Shark. 2014 single Twenty Two continues in the same vein melding distorted, shimmering and reverb-laden guitar licks with rickety break beats and synth chirps to create a haunting track that draws the listener into a dark melancholy.
Collecting re-recordings of earlier releases Little Bear and The End is the Start alongside new tracks X All Y and Callie, Boris sees the group adopt a more bass heavy and guitar driven sound akin to that 90s alternative rock influences like The Breeders. Kicking off with X All Y the EP’s first track combines dense layers of distorted guitar noise, ethereal vocal melodies and pop song writing in a manner evocative of shoegaze pioneers My Bloody Valentine.
Breaking from the overall melancholic tone of the EP second track Callie is a jangly and infectiously poppy rock anthem that is an absolute gem of a song and true credit to the band’s diversity. The distorted guitar licks, eerie synth, melodic harmonies and ambiguous lyrics of penultimate track Little Bear conjure feelings of mellow disillusionment. Despite constantly sounding like being on the verge of petering out, the soft despondent vocals and slowly crashing instrumentation of the aptly named closing track The End is the Start send the EP to a fitting conclusion.
Equally comfortable at laying down nonchalant pop and weaving together dark atmospheric sonic textures it’s difficult not to want to hear more of what this band has to offer. For those looking to catch the band live Twelve Point Buck will be supporting the jangley sounds of Sydney locals Otto Da Fe and more at the Oxford Art Factory Five for Five on the 18th of June and will be heading up a night at Tokyo Sing Song on the 18th of July.
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