Finally, the highly anticipated self-titled debut studio album from WA’s quirky indie-pop four-piece, San Cisco, has arrived! If you’ve not heard much about them, then you’ve been missing out. They’ve already played a bunch of festivals around the country, including Pyramid Rock, Groovin’ The Moo and Big Day Out, and supported already established Australian acts such as The Grates and Architecture in Helsinki.
After single Awkward came in at number 7 in the 2011 triple j Hottest 100, San Cisco cemented their place in fast becoming one of Australian music’s most exciting bands. In early 2011, they released debut EP Golden Revolver and followed it up by releasing the Awkward EP in early 2012.
San Cisco is sensationally experimental, unrefined, vibrant and catchy. It screams Vampire Weekend and Tame Impala, with a quirky poppy twist that makes you literally want to dance around with joy! Try and define a genre and you’ll fail. The album is fun and packed full of a chaotic mish-mash of uncomplicated, colourful synth-pop arrangements, dirty electric guitar and soft drums, with incredibly easy-to-remember lyrics
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Opening track, Beach is romantically haunting, featuring vocals from both Jordi Davieson and Scarlett Stevens, who launches into a bright and dreamy chorus.
Songs such as Fred Astaire, No Friends and Lyall light up this album and you can tell that San Cisco are in love with the music they are making. There is nothing but delight exuding from every drum beat, guitar stroke and tambourine shake.
You’ll float through Hunter and on to first single off the album Wild Things that just fits so perfectly in this dramatic mix-up of sound.
The album is in no way predictable. There is a lot going on and each song is magically unique. Davieson shows us what he’s made of in Stella, with some quirky ‘freak out’ backing vocals.
Toast is probably one of the stand-out tracks: sophisticated and polished, giving us a taste as to what a perhaps more mature San Cisco can offer.
The album is playful and energetic. The music is fresh and honest, offering unlimited changes of pace and expectation. For me, San Cisco lives up to the hype and is without doubt, my album for the summer.
