Melbourne’s Cable Ties release their second album Far Enough, in the midst of building up a long list of plaudits from indie and mainstream press alike.
The trio are made up of Jenny McKechnie (guitar, vocals), Shauna Boyle (drums), and Nick Brown (bass) and Far Enough marks their first foray into the international market. Welcome, we’re glad you here, make yourselves comfortable.
‘Hope’ is a song in two parts, opening with a self-reflective commentary that gives way to a fist thumping second act, focusing on environmental issues.
‘Sandcastles’ is an absurdly catchy punk-pop song. It’s refreshingly brash. The chorus will burrow its way into your head and you’ll find yourself thinking about it without any prompt.
“You don’t do anything because you know that people like you they/Just don’t do anything, but tear each other down”. Jenny’s vocals on this track, and the album as a whole, are seismic.
‘Lani’ carries the kind of soft vocal delivery backed by aggressive thickly laid on bass and guitars that made early Black Rebel Motorcycle Club tracks so attractive. At seven minutes long, three chord throwaway punk this is not. The guitar melody that does the heavy lifting in the middle of the track is atmospheric and direct.
The band jump two footed back into ear-worm territory with ‘Not My Story’, before opening up a rich vein of hope with a rolling drum pattern that is the foundation of ‘Anger’s Not Enough’. It fits the brief – brooding and goading you to get close enough for it to lash out. Guitars thunder in during the chorus and it’s a cathartic release when coupled again with McKechnie’s vocals.
It’s the urgency that is striking. Throughout the record, Cable Ties are pushing to get somewhere. They’re striving to take you with them to a better place where people aren’t working to get rich, or mistreating people with different views.
‘Pillow’ closes the album with what feels like an exhalation after an intense conversation. The chorus, again, will whirl around your brain for hours after listening. The softer bass production, and higher tonal range it explores, is neatly out of sync with the rest of the record. It’s a fine contrast that eases you out of an otherwise intense album.
Cable Ties are writing anthemic hard rock tracks that speak of inclusivity, environmentalism and feminism. They’re delivering strong messages in sharp bursts of piercing drums, heavy bass, crunchy guitars and mesmerising vocals.
Far Enough’s eight tracks flash by and leave you wondering what the hell just happened. This is a mature record showing that Cable Ties can seamlessly switch from angry radicals to atmospheric provocateurs.
Far Enough is available from Friday 27th March on Merge Records
