After the longest wait between albums in their 18-year career, Sydney indie-rock five piece Dappled Cities are back and better than ever with their brand new album Five (stylized as ‘|||||’) . Written in an Oxford street office after hours and recorded + produced in the vastly beautiful Byron Bay by Luke Bertoz and the band themselves, ‘|||||’ is full of just as much character as you would expect.
The album comes after a hiatus and numerous other changes for the band. A loss of managament, bookers & a label left Dappled Cities up to their own devices for the first time in their career, allowing them to pour as much creativity as they pleased into their much anticipated fifth record.
‘|||||’ is undoubtedly a record that you can tap your toes and bop your head to from start to finish. The opening song In Light of No One sets the mood for what the rest of the album has in store for us, showcasing the bands classic sound mixed in with obvious nods to 70’s pop-rock. Delving in further, you will find the recently released single titled Stone Men which features more prominent electro-vibes, letting us know that this album is definitely one thing: versatile.
There is an almost nostalgic vibe released into the air when you hear the opening bars of Everything Ever, and Bad Feeling is bound to give you anything but it’s name sake. Standout tracks include the slower, encapturing Weightless, all the way down the line to the super dancey track That Sound.
Co-vocal, co-guitar and co-songwriter of Dappled Cities Dave Rennick had a chat to us a few weeks back about ‘|||||’, saying “It’s definitely my favourite Dappled record, I really feel like we just nailed that relaxed vibe and let it breathe. There’s no desperation throughout it if you know what I mean”. You can check out the full interview here.
Dappled Cities have created an album which reflects perfectly on their maturity as band. Every aspect of ‘|||||’ works harmoniously together to create nothing short of a musical piece of art. Whether you’re already a fan of the band or you’ve never heard of them before, I can guarantee that you won’t regret giving this record a listen.
You can purchase the album on iTunes here, or stream it on Spotify here.
By: Sarah Taylor
Images courtesy of Rare Finds.
EXTENDABLE 