Since their inception in 2018, Brisbane five-piece Nice Biscuit have always managed to stand out amongst the booming psychedelic scene in Australia. SOS – their first LP in more than five years – is no exception, and definitely worth the wait. Out now via Bad Vibrations.
The album is laden with groovy, dance-worthy yet calming tracks. There’s a palpable chain of inspiration from Aussie neo-psych predecessors – think Tame Impala, King Gizzard, and the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – as well as elements of classic psychedelic rock, particularly Jefferson Airplane in the title track ‘SOS’.
As experimental as ever, the band tried something very different in the recording studio: they split up into “the boys” (instrumentalists Nick Cavendish, Jess Ferronato, and Kurt Melvin) and “the girls” (vocalists Billie Star and Grace Cuell), and recorded in separate sessions. They explained the creative process:
“The boys laid down the foundations of the songs on the weekend prior and then Billie and Grace would head out to add vocals and write lyrics. Often we would not have the lyrics or melodies finished before going out there, which allowed more focus and energy to be poured into the instrumentation and vocals. It fostered greater creativity and space by doing it separately and felt like a fun back and forth between the two groups, being excited to share what we have created. Then in the weeks after we got together and added more synth and percussion parts.”
The result? Beautiful, crisp bass, guitar and drums, which hold their own but never drown out the soothing, ethereal harmonies of Star and Cuell.
The opening track ‘The Star’ is (fittingly) twinkly, rhythmic, and ritualistic, conjuring up some serious gap year vibes. ‘Love That Takes You Up’ is a standout; its hazy melody uplifts and enchants. I was still chanting “Baby, love takes you up” in my head hours later!
‘Rain’, a seven-minute-long anthem, is made up of echoing electronica set against heavy rhythm guitar. Thrown strategically in the middle of the album to spice things up, it’s further proof of Nice Biscuit’s consistent freshness and originality. I enjoyed the chorus of weather-related cries for positivity:
“No sign of raindrops / can’t find the clouds / where are the rainbows? / where are they now?“
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