Canberra’s Sputnik Sweetheart have just released the most dynamic piece of effervescent pop that ever cantered along with a high stepping melodic bounce. A grungy guitar underflow creates an indelible spine while singer/guitarist Nette France’s vocals have a wry distant ethereal timbre with a bravado and a swagger redolent of a heady mix of Wolf Alice, Bjork or Transvision Vamp. The music is theatrical and thunderous, the result is something quite pulse quickening and cathartic.
France says of the single:
Lyrically, this song is more of a sentiment than a story… that feeling you get when you’re like ‘nup, this is not it‘. I think growing up, I was very much a people pleaser and would go with the flow to avoid conflict or disagreements. I came to the realisation that actually – it’s okay and perfectly normal to want your own things out of life, and to expect more from people and relationships. That’s the energy I wanted to capture in the song, which I think translates sonically too. We’ve added all our favourite things – heavy guitars, groove changes, vocal harmonies – and it’s our absolute favourite song to play live.
A deceptively quiet beginning is swept aside by epic riffs and a driving rhythm before the perky vocals skip across the surface – the verses a soft bright precursor before the hair raising choruses swoop in while the pace ebbs and flows throughout with a psychedelic edge.
I love this – this is really exciting and innovative stuff. You can download and stream the single here.
The band will be launching ‘Something More’ with special guests Mr. Industry and Sonic Reducer this Saturday 27 May at the The Shaking Hand – Canberra, ACT – more details and tickets available here.
The single comes from of Sputnik Sweetheart’s upcoming EP ‘Far From You’ due out on 14 July 2023.
Feature Photograph: Claire Warren
