It's always oddly satisfying when song titles seem to quite accurately reflect the music contained therein, and Wellington four-piece the Golden Awesome seem to be pretty good at evocative track names.
For example, opening track Autumn actually sounds like autumn - the joyous autumn that's sunny, and cold and clear, with early sunsets, and red and brown leaves covering footpaths. And Astronomy lends itself to thoughts of the galactic and celestial flights, with its colder guitars, and rhythmic foreboding.
Their epic, fuzzy, shimmering, wall of sound is constructed of deep guitars and bass, nicely restrained drumming, and beautiful refracting female melodies and harmonies. The lyrics remain enigmatic and obscured, but the soundscapes do the talking.
Though they belong firmly in the shoe-gazey, indie, noise rock category, there's something endearingly celebratory about the Golden Awesome's songs. There's a rising sense of optimism in the haze, and when they strip the guitars back occasionally, and let the bass and vocals weave together, they create a heady spell.
The shifting harmonies of Blue are a highlight, a blooming, peaceful sonic respite in among the spinning energy of High Life and the more rough-edged Sooner And Later.
