It feels like Christmas here at the antipodean outpost of Backseat Mafia with the much anticipated news that the brilliant Underground Lovers are taking to the road for an anniversary tour with the wonderful Youth Group. And, continuing their reissue of past albums, the much lauded ‘Dream It Down’ will be issues in vinyl for the first time. celebrating 30 years since its release.
With singles ‘Losin’ It’ and ‘Las Vegas’, this was the entry into an approximation of mainstream success for the band and the rest of the album displayed a growing sophistication in terms of the indelible pop melodies and layered ethereal sounds. Guitars take the fore in many of the tracks, with synths forming a distance haunting edge.
The opening title tack is carried on crystal acoustic guitars with haunting synth sounds in the distance and Giarusso’s earnest, plaintiff vocals with distant echoes. It’s a dreamy melodic beauty. ‘Losin’ It’ is the song that should have made the band international pop stars with its sweeping strings and effervescent melancholic pace. Philippa Nihill’s ethereal vocals take the controls in ‘Recognise’ in a psychedelic fugue while ‘Blues team (Only Thinkin”)’ a folk-infused slice of pop with rippling, jangling guitars.
‘Superstar and ‘Las Vegas’ (a massive live favourite) are sprawling epics that are almost like companion pieces with Giarusso’s vocal cracking with emotion and the music cinematic and bold. In between, ‘Supernova’ has weeping cellos that create an instrumental pastoral interlude above an ambulant bass.
‘Va Va Va’ continue in a reflective mode above arpeggiated guitars and a gently melody whereas ‘Weak Will, sung again by Nihill, is a return to a more fuzzy eclectic electronic buzz with disassociated vocals and whirling sounds. ‘Beautiful World’ is a majestic ballad, statuesque and raw and poetic: eyes like yours would light up the stratosphere. Final track on the original album, ‘Earth Manna’ is a shuffling acoustic melancholic delight that glows with a burning intensity and powerful melody.
In the special anniversary edition there are a number of remixes of album tracks as well as other releases.
Speaking about the record, frontmen Glenn Bennie and Vincenzo Giarrusso noted that,
‘Dream It Down’ is a significant album for us: it marked a change in direction musically for the band, and a change in the way we went about recording albums. Our philosophy was, and still is, that it should be all about the song.
It is a perfect album in all respects, filled with glorious shimmering songs.
To help celebrate 30 years of Dream it Down, the six-piece band are releasing the album on vinyl for the very first time, including B-sides, and releasing an expanded edition featuring tracks that have never been on streaming services before.
You can order the special limited edition here.
For the tour, the band will be joined by Youth Group, the four-piece indie band who have earned a cult following in Australia across five critically acclaimed albums. Formed in the late 90’s, Youth Group’s sound is reminiscent of bands like Pavement and Death Cab for Cutie. The band rose to the spotlight with their infamous 2006 cover of Alphaville’s “Forever Young”, which launched to #1 on the ARIA charts and won an ARIA award for Best New Single.
You can buy tickets here.
