Following their return single ‘Everything Is Temporary’ last month (see my review here), Meanjin/Brisbane trio The Valery Trails are back with another jangly slice of joy on the poignant nostalgic track ‘First Kiss’.
Songwriter Andrew Bowers says of the track:
I wrote the song as an ode to young obsession carried by a raucous soundtrack that flirts with classic rock à la Redd Kross and The Hold Steady. I sent the demo to the rest of the band, quoting the wisdom of Spinal Tap – “It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever” – and asking which side the lyrics to ‘First Kiss’ landed. The consensus was that with the right treatment, we might just pull it off!
There is a fuzzy wall of noise, a little more muscular than usual with a touch of Dinosaur Jnr and both cinematic and anthemic. The accompanying video reflects the pure nostalgia:
You can download and stream the single here.
It comes off the band’s forthcoming album ‘Winter Palace’ out on 29 August 2025 and which is available to pre-order through the link below.
Feature Photograph: Markus Ravik
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